Dying Embers
by MasterFirebender84
Summary: AU story. Aang & Ozai both die during Sozin's Comet, leaving the world without the Avatar. Katara, devastated by the loss of Aang, becomes broken. Years pass, & her grief has yet to subside. But Zuko feels that something has changed...eventual Zutara.
1. Death of a Legend

First off, I've got some news for you all:

1) I'm putting "A Lifetime of Love" and "The River of Hatred Flows Deep in the Heart" on hiatus for now. Writer's block is majorly killing me on those two, so I'll come back to those when I can find my focus again.

2) I'm starting a new story...and it's a Zutara fic. *Collective gasp from my readers*

That's right; I, a huge Kataanger, am going to try my hand at Zutara. I came up with the idea for this story just yesterday, and I decided to try it and see what I can do when I go outside of my comfort zone (and that's saying a lot when it comes to Zutara). This story will contain what I think the Zutarian relationship SHOULD be like, but I'm not going to give anything away right now. :P

For now, you have this neat little prologue to get you interested in my newest work. It features no Zutara, but I can assure you that it will appear in later chapters. And for any Zutarians out there, if you have any useful suggestions for me, be sure to let me know. Please enjoy and review! :D

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Prologue: Death of a Legend**

Blue and orange light filled the crimson heavens, reflecting each other as Yin and Yang do, as two figures stood atop an earthen pillar, locked in the ultimate clash of good and evil. One figure, a regal man of great stature, was enveloped with an orange light, brandishing the color of his devastating element. The other figure, a young boy with blue arrow tattoos, stood over the kneeling man, his hands on the man's forehead and chest. The boy was enveloped in a blue light, a soothing color that clashed with the harshness of the man's being.

This boy was no ordinary boy; he was Avatar Aang, the last Airbender and master of all four elements, hero of the free world.

His opponent: the diabolical monster known as Phoenix King Ozai, former ruler of the ruthless Fire Nation, instigator of the Hundred Years' War.

Aang could feel his energy intermingling with Ozai's, his entire soul becoming one with the madman. The power was both indescribable and terrifying, a tug-of-war of ultimate supremacy and dominance.

In Aang's mind echoed the sage wisdom of the Lion-Turtle: _The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light._

Their energies went back and forth, coloring parts of their skin both orange and blue. Endlessly did the struggle rage on as the each combatant vied for control over the other.

Aang knew that this battle was taking far too long; something should have happened by now.

Suddenly something broke, an ethereal cataclysm deep inside his Avatar Spirit. He could hear his past lives crying out in pain, mercilessly begging him to stop what he was doing.

He couldn't stop; it was impossible to break this contact. His life energy began to fuse with the Phoenix King's, and he knew that something had indeed gone horribly wrong.

_Aang!_ bellowed the ancient voice of Avatar Roku in his head. _You must stop this now!_

_I can't! _helplessly exclaimed Aang. _Ozai and I are merging, and I can't break off the contact!_

_There is only one way that I know of that can stop this,_ grimly said Roku, _but…it comes with a high price._

_What is it? _desperately asked Aang, feeling his entity being sucked into Ozai.

_You must end your own life energy. When you kill yourself, Ozai's life energy will die as well, and he too will perish along with you._

_No...no, there has to be another way! I can't die! I can't leave all my friends behind! I can't…leave Katara behind…_

Roku solemnly sighed. _I am afraid that there is no other way, Aang. You must give fully of yourself to protect the world, even if it means dying to do so._

Glistening tears rolled down Aang's semi-corrupted cheeks.

_Will…will it hurt, Roku?_

_That I cannot say for sure, Aang, but I will be here to guide you to the Spirit World when your time comes._

_…I'm scared._

_Do not be afraid, brave Avatar. You will be safe soon, I promise._

Aang took a deep mental breath, preparing himself for what was to come.

When he was ready, he found his life energy hidden deep inside of his being…and destroyed it.

He instantly felt Ozai groan in animalistic pain, and the colored lights around them began to waver and shake. The lights vanished as the two fell back from each other, falling to their backs on the hard ground beneath them. As their skins cleared, Aang felt his vision became a mixture of blurry-black. Using his faint Earthbending senses, he felt no signs of life from Ozai.

The Phoenix King was dead.

Endless tears streamed down Aang's grimy face, his sporadic breaths collapsing in his heaving chest as he thought of the journey he had taken with all of his friends.

"I'm sorry, guys," he whispered to the sky, remembering all the people he was leaving behind in this world: Sokka, his brother-in-arms; Toph, his Earthbending Sifu; Suki, the brave Kyoshi Warrior; Appa and Momo, his faithful animal companions; Zuko, the redeemed Fire Prince…

And Katara.

How could he bring himself to leave behind Katara, the girl who meant more to him than even life itself? How could his life be complete without her?

The sad truth was that, without her, life meant nothing…an endless void of despair and misery that assailed his young mind day after day.

He knew that he loved her with all of his heart.

It had always been that way.

She, on the other hand, had not reciprocated those feelings of affection, and even rejected his romantic advances.

In his dying heart, he knew that she would live on, bringing the world back to the way it once was.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he whispered through his choked breathing, his eyes fading as they began to slowly close.

Without her, he was falling…

Without her, he was slipping…

Without her, he was dying…

And she would not be there to catch him.

Not this time.

As his eyes closed for the last time, he quietly, softly, deathly whispered his final words…

"I love you…Katara…"

He died with her name on his lips, his words falling on the deaf ears of a silent wind.


	2. Crumbling Reality

I'm back again, bringing you more of my newest Zutara fic. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy killing off Aang in the prologue. I died a little inside; I hope you're happy Zutarians! Just kidding. XD But in all seriousness, Zutara isn't going to happen right away. Like any good story, you always build up to the eventual romance, not just thrust the characters into it at the beginning. Of course, that won't stop me from sprinkling a little something here and there. ;) Anyways, please enjoy and review! :D

Oh, and in response to **AvatarFan128**, I shall always remember KATAANG FOREVER! :D

P.S. - When you see Sokka, you'll find out that his leg is not broken like it was in the canonical finale. My reasoning behind this is that since this is an AU story, I can change little things around while still keeping the story going. There's another reason for it, but you'll see that soon enough.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Crumbling Reality**

As the epic struggle between Aang and Ozai came to its climax, Katara looked up from her healing session with an injured Zuko to see blue and orange lights filling the heavens. "Zuko," she quickly said, nudging him to get his attention. The scarred teen followed her gaze, his eyes widening when he saw the lights. The recently defeated Azula had been detained by the Fire Sages, who had turned to Zuko's side shortly after the Agni Kai was over. Appa lay off to the side, grunting as he looked up at the lights.

The two were silent as they saw the lights bash against each other, intermingling until all distinction was gone. Soon, the lights wavered and disappeared, collapsing under their own power. The sky returned to its blood-red haze, a reflection of the blood spilt that day. Appa resumed his napping, paying no heed to his human companions.

As Katara bent the water back into her pouch, Zuko firmly said, "That had to have been Aang's doing. No one in the world has that kind of power."

Katara glanced off to her right, averting her eyes from Zuko as she held her head down with a sad frown. Zuko noticed her crestfallen expression and looked over at her as he said, "He's going to make it, Katara." He flashed a supportive smile at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Have some faith in the kid."

Katara made no move to reply to Zuko's statement; rather, all she could think about was Aang. Ever since he had disappeared three days ago, he was all that she could think of.

Zuko's smile fell, obviously worried by Katara's sullen demeanor. "You really care about him, don't you?"

"Yes…" softly replied Katara as she nodded, folding her hands in her lap. She remembered everything she and the young Avatar had been through, the incredible journey they had taken all around the world. She had grown attached to him in such a way that she found it hard to separate herself from him, especially for long periods of time. He was the one who made her heart soar, and yet she had been too afraid to take flight on the wings of her true feelings.

She thought of how she had rejected him during the play on Ember Island, how she had shot him down after he had kissed her. They were able to "resolve" the issue the next day and resumed their training, but there was always that hidden insistence in their hearts, always wanting to talk about it and yet being too hesitant to do so.

"Zuko..." she distantly said, as if she realized something just then.

"Yeah?"

She gulped in a dry breath, her throat becoming constricted from the words that were surfacing. "I…I love him," she choked out, her eyes widening at the realization. Before Zuko could say anything else, she said, "I love Aang." An excited came over her face as she looked back at Zuko and joyously said, "I love Aang!"

Zuko mirthfully chuckled at Katara's excitement as he said, "Took you long enough to figure that out."

Katara's face dropped as an embarrassed flush came across her face, realizing how over-eager she had been. "Oh…you knew?" she nervously asked, flicking her eyes back to the ground.

"Well," admitted Zuko, "Aang was actually the first to tell me how he felt about you." Katara glanced back at him as he added, "I had to say I was rather surprised when he chose to confide in me and not anyone else. You'd be surprised at the poetic stuff that kid comes up with when he talks about you."

"What do you mean?"

"He would tell me how he would get lost in your eyes every time he looked at you, how your smile always brought him to his knees." Zuko rolled his eyes as he added, "I won't go into much detail, but let's just say I had to go through at least a century's worth of sappy, lovey-dovey stuff that made me want to vomit." He glanced back at Katara, who was smiling so hard that he was surprised that her face didn't break in two. "Aang loves you a lot, Katara, maybe even more than you can imagine."

Katara girlishly glanced down at the ground, dreamily smiling as her giddy blush consumed her face. There was no doubt in her mind; she loved Aang, and she knew that he loved her. No more confusion, no more uncertainty, and no more doubt; only happiness, joy, and love.

"The others are going to be so-"

"The others?" curiously cut in Katara, looking back up at Zuko. "You mean you're not the only one who knows about Aang's feelings for me?"

"Yeah," said Zuko with a nod. "Sokka was actually the first one to figure it out."

"Oh great," muttered Katara as she buried her face in her hands, shuddering at the thought of the teasing that was sure to come. "I guess Toph and Suki know too, huh?" she glumly asked as she dropped her hands.

"Pretty much," nonchalantly affirmed Zuko. "Toph thinks that you two should have gotten together a long time ago, and Suki thinks that you two would make a really cute couple."

"What about Sokka?" hesitantly asked Katara.

"He actually _wants_ to see you two get together."

Katara blinked her surprise. "You _can't_ be serious."

"I am," assured Zuko. "He thinks Aang is a great guy, and that's why he wants to see you two together; he wants you to be happy with Aang."

"How sweet of him," cheerily said Katara with a smile, glad that her brother had already approved of Aang.

"You'll know that he'll have a ton of rules set for when you and Aang actually start dating."

Katara shook her head as she said, "I don't care. As long as I'm with Aang, I don't care what my brother throws at us." Suddenly thinking of Aang, she nervously asked, "But what if Aang doesn't want to be with me?"

"Why wouldn't he want to be with you?" surprisingly asked Zuko.

Katara ashamedly glanced down at the ground as she softly said, "I…kind of rejected him back on Ember Island. Back during the play, we talked…and I told him that we couldn't be together because of this stupid war." She heavily sighed and added, "I think I broke his heart."

"Not to sound like a jerk, but that was kind of insensitive of you," said Zuko in a deadpan.

"Gee, thanks," angrily muttered Katara as she rolled her eyes. "Way to add to my guilt."

"You know how sensitive Aang is," kindly said Zuko, attempting to make up for his bluntness. "I get the fact that you two couldn't be together right now because of The War, but you know the kid has a glass heart; throw a rock into it, and it shatters instantly."

"I never meant to hurt him, though," defensively said Katara as she looked up at Zuko. "I wanted to make sure that nothing was distracting him from the final battle. He _needs_ to win, Zuko, otherwise all of our hard work will have been for nothing."

"I know, but you still have to deal with Aang."

Katara smirked. "That'll be the easy part. As soon as I see him, I'm going to rush into his arms and tell him that I love him with every beat of my heart."

Zuko smiled and nodded, obviously liking Katara's plan. "We still have a lot of time to kill before the others get here," said Zuko, sitting up much straighter than before.

"All the more time to figure out how to make our reunion with them even sweeter," jokingly chuckled Katara, turning her gaze to the heavens in nervous anticipation.

The blood-red sky finally cleared away as the Comet left the upper atmosphere, leaving only the dark night in its place.

* * *

><p>Endless, infinite hours passed by, bringing no soothing peace to Katara's worried heart as the night torturously dragged on. "They should have been here by now," she anxiously said as she fidgeted, never tearing her gaze from the star-lit heavens above. She and Zuko were sitting side-by-side, waiting for any sign of their friends to appear.<p>

Zuko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, bringing a sense of warmth to the Waterbender's body. "Don't be afraid, Katara," he calmly said, causing her to look at him with desperate, hopeful cerulean eyes. He warmly smiled at her as he said, "If that light we saw earlier is any indication, this war should finally be over."

"What if it's not?" retorted Katara, her face heavy with uncertainty. "What if your father killed them all and he's on his way here right now?"

"My father would be too preoccupied with burning down the Earth Kingdom to worry about things back here in the Fire Nation," stated Zuko. "He knows what Azula is capable of...though I would have to say that his biggest mistake was leaving her here alone to fend off any intruders."

"Like us," said Katara with a smirk.

Zuko returned the smirk. "Yeah, like us." Katara's sullen expression returned, causing Zuko's smirk to drop. "I promise you that they'll all be safe."

Katara cast him a doubtful look. "You know you can't promise that sort of thing."

"Maybe not," said Zuko with a shrug as he dropped his hand from her shoulder, "but you're obviously worried about the others, and I'm telling you that I'm here to comfort you."

Katara gratefully smiled at him as she sincerely said, "I appreciate that, Zuko." The Firebender smiled and nodded at her, his bright amber eyes piercing the darkness around them. Suddenly, Appa stirred as he lifted his head towards the sky, and the two teens noticed this movement. "What is it, Appa?" curiously asked Katara, surprised by the Bison's stirring. Appa made no move to reply, his ears twitching as a droning sound filled the air. Katara and Zuko followed the Bison's gaze to see a large object on the horizon, breaking its way through a few sporadic clouds.

"I've heard that sound before…" distantly said Zuko as he narrowed his eyes at the apparition, trying to make out what it was. "I think it's an airship."

"Maybe the others commandeered it," helpfully put in Katara as she stood up, her heart racing in nervous anticipation for her reunion with Aang. Zuko stood up with her, both of them keeping their eyes on the large airship as it descended upon the courtyard. Appa plodded towards them, taking his place by their side. As the airship landed, they made their way over to the side where the landing ramp would come out. Sure enough, a metal ramp extended from the ship, slamming into the ground with a thunderous _BOOM_. Katara, Zuko, and Appa stood away from the ramp, allowing whoever was on board to safely disembark.

Katara flicked her gaze back and forth from the ship to Zuko, who was giving her a supportive smile. The doors on the ship finally opened, revealing the crimson interior of the metal beast. After several minutes, Katara could make out two figures that stepped out of the shadows. One was Toph (with Momo sitting on her right shoulder) and the other was Suki, the two warriors parting on either side of the door. Katara was so focused on the doorway that she didn't see the tears streaming down Toph and Suki's faces, and neither did Zuko.

Katara knew that the time had come; she was about to face Aang and tell him exactly how she felt about him. Would she finally find happiness with the boy she knew she had loved for all this time and was too afraid to realize until today? Would he forgive her for her rejection back at Ember Island? Would they kiss? Spirits, she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and kiss him with all her might, no matter who was watching them. She could already think of all the romantic things that would happen between them, how they would cuddle on summer nights and-

The third and final figure stepped out of the darkness of the ship, carrying a limp figure with it. Katara could see that the walking figure was Sokka, his hardened face heavy with grief-stricken tears.

Tears? No…it couldn't be…

When she looked at who was in his arms, her world came to a screeching halt.

The person in her brother's arms…was Aang.

Katara's breath caught in her throat, which was already clogged with her jumping heart. Time slowed to a crawl, burning this impossible image into her terrified eyes. All her fears burst forth out of her panicked heart, causing her to fearfully shout, "Aang!" She sprinted towards her brother, pouring all of her being into her pounding legs.

Sokka stopped as his sister caught up to him, her shocked eyes staring down at the still form of the Avatar. She quickly glanced up at him, seeing the brokenness in his shattered eyes. "Aang…" he managed to choke out, his voice laden with mournful, implied finality. Katara felt her eyes go wide, filling to the brim with painful tears.

"No!" she frantically shouted, grabbing Aang's cold body from her brother's arms. Her sibling made no move to protest her as she laid the Avatar on the metal ramp, bending the water from her pouch onto her hands. She frenziedly placed her trembling hands on Aang's chest, her tears sprinkling the boy's bare chest. Pouring all of her chi into the liquid, the water began to glow a brilliant blue, urgently seeking out any kind of energy in the Avatar's shallow body, anything to drive off the inevitable.

Emptiness.

All she could feel was the utter emptiness that filled Aang's body, a void that she had felt once before…once before in the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se…

Death.

The cold, lifeless embrace of everlasting death, an embrace that left a body a hollow shell of its former self.

"No!" she hysterically screamed, pouring more of herself into her glowing hands, willing Aang to come back to her. As she felt the energy subside, there was no response from Aang's body. "You can't leave us like this!" she frantically screamed, lighting her hands once more with a healing light, refusing to give up on the boy she loved with all of her heart. "You can't be dead!" she brokenly sobbed as she realized her healing was having no effect, her eyes filled with aching grief.

Her water gloves fell away, her chi too scattered and broken to maintain its cohesiveness. "Aang!" she screamed to the heavens as she collapsed against the Avatar's bare chest, holding his lifeless body so close to herself that she could have become one with him in that instant. "Why, Aang?" she bitterly wept as her mournful tears soaked his cold skin. "You can't die, Aang…please…" she begged, _pleaded_, to the boy she had once called her best friend and would never call her lover, her romantic partner, her boyfriend.

Zuko could only look on at the scene in stunned silence, too shocked to say anything as Katara mourned Aang's death.

How could this have happened? Just hours before, he and Katara had been discussing her future love life with Aang. He could still that loving smile on her face as she thought of all the wonderful memories she would make in her new life with Aang, and now…

Now _this_, the most unthinkable and horrible thing imaginable…

Aang was dead.

He bowed his head in silent respect of his friend, tears leaking down his right cheek. He fought to keep the sobs in his chest from breaking out; he would not dishonor his fallen comrade by weeping like a grieving maiden. Men did not cry like women did, no wailing or shrieking to the endless heavens above. Men honored the fallen with the utmost dignity and respect, only allowing enough emotion on their faces to show that they were indeed grieving.

But this stoic expression was only a mask to hide the raging grief in his heart.

Suki had broken into full-on sobbing as Katara collapsed against Aang, and Toph was shuddering from her own silent crying. Even Sokka, eyes closed, shook from the uncontrollable racks of grief in his body. Momo sadly purred as his ears dropped, and Appa let out a baying moan, a low mournful sound that was filled with sorrow.

No one moved for the longest time, united and bound in their anguish. Katara's sobs filled the once tranquil night air, vocalizing her immense sorrow to all who could hear her. Toph hung her head down, her silent sobs becoming choked gasps in her throat. The somber atmosphere penetrated them all, giving them no respite from this most terrible of nightmares.

Finally, Zuko looked up as he managed, with difficulty, to say, "We should move Aang inside." Sokka opened his eyes as he looked at the Firebender, somberly nodding his agreement.

"I'll get Aang…" heavily said Sokka, despising the fact that he had to carry his dead friend once more. In his mind, he knew that Aang didn't deserve this; he didn't deserve death…but Sokka knew that this grim task of his had to be done. Someone had to bear the body of the world's savior, and he knew that it was his sole duty to do so. He knelt down to pick Aang up, but Katara let out a choked sob as she forcefully pushed her brother away. "Katara, please-"

"No!" she shrieked, sounding more like a frightened little girl than a young woman who had just beaten Princess Azula. "I won't let you take Aang from me!"

"Aang is _gone_, Katara," pleadingly insisted Sokka, causing her sobs to break forth once more. Sokka tried to pick Aang up again, but Katara impeded his efforts once more. "Katara-"

"I'm not leaving Aang!" sorrowfully screamed Katara, tightening her grip on the deceased Avatar. Sokka helplessly looked up at Zuko, silently begging him to do so something about this situation. Without any prompting, Zuko came up behind Katara. He roughly grabbed her by the waist and broke her vice-grip on Aang, causing her to wildly shriek and wail. "Let go of me!" strikingly demanded Katara as Zuko drug her backwards, her arms uselessly reaching for Aang as Sokka picked him up. "Aang!" she cried out again, desperately trying to get back to the fallen Avatar.

Suki and Toph followed behind Sokka as they disembarked from the ramp, making their way to a nearby palace building, Katara furiously struggling against Zuko the whole time. "NO!" helplessly shrieked Katara, her face overflowing with a torrent of tears. Zuko grimaced as he felt Katara thrust her elbow into his gut, but he kept his grip around her midsection. "I need to be with Aang!" she screamed as she whipped her head around so she could see Zuko. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you calm down!" he retorted, wincing as her fingernails accidentally scraped across his arms, drawing thin lines of blood from his pale skin. Her broken sapphire eyes pierced his soul, mercilessly accusing him of keeping her away from the boy she loved. As much as it killed him to do this, he had to force Katara to calm down.

Katara quickly looked back towards the others to see the door of the building they entered close behind them, leaving her and Zuko alone in the courtyard. Katara's heart collapsed in her heaving chest as she fell to her knees, bringing Zuko down with her. She buried her face in her hands, pouring out even more of her unstoppable grief as her sobbing continued. Zuko let go of Katara and moved to her right, wiping away his own tears as he did so. "I'm sorry, Katara…" he weakly said, suppressing his overwhelming urge to cry. He glanced down and saw crimson trails of his blood flow down his arms. He glared at the blood, reminded of the lives uselessly wasted on that dark day.

Even Katara's legs couldn't support her in her kneeling position, and she fell to the ground in a heap. "Why, Aang?" she moaned as she looked up at the building where the others had taken him. "Why did you have to die before…before I told you that I love you? Why, Aang, why…" Her broken sobbing overtook her ability to speak, leaving her to pour out her turbulent emotions through her tears.

Zuko painfully looked up at Katara; the proud young Waterbender he had come to admire for her bravery had now been reduced down to this wretchedly mournful and grieving little girl. His eyes shone with compassion and sympathy as he took up the broken girl in his arms, resting her head against his broad shoulder as she continued to sob. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull any sort of warming comfort from the Firebender. Zuko soothingly stroked his hand through Katara's hair, trying to calm her down through his kind and tender touch.

Remembering a song his Uncle would sing in honor of Lu Ten, he began to quietly sing…

_Leaves from the vine…_

_Falling so slow…_

_Like fragile, tiny shells…_

_Drifting in the foam…_

_Little, soldier boy…_

_Comes marching home…_

_Brave, soldier boy…_

_Comes marching home…_

His melodic voice carried in the melancholy air, bringing a sense of hesitant peace to the grieving Waterbender in his arms as she slowly stopped sobbing. "Come on…" softly said Zuko, gazing down at her with grief-stricken eyes. "You need to say your final good-byes to Aang."

"I don't know if my legs will carry me that far…" feebly whispered Katara, shame flooding her quiet voice. Zuko understood what she meant; she didn't know if she had the will to carry herself that far, to see Aang one last time and try to make amends with his departed spirit.

"Then I'll carry you there," he firmly said as he quickly stood up, taking Katara up in his strong arms and carrying her bridal-style. He began making his way towards the building as he looked down at her and said, "One way or another, I'll get you to Aang."

Despite her consuming grief, Katara couldn't help but blush a little at this unexpected gesture of charity from Zuko. She glanced away from him as she leaned her head against his shoulder, whispering, "Thank you, Zuko…" The Firebender merely nodded and returned his attention to walking, leaving Katara to wonder about how she was going to make amends with Aang.


	3. Final Amends

Back once more into the breach. :P I'd like to thank all of you who are faithfully following this story despite the fact that I'm not even that far in. XD But hey, what can I say? I love writing this stuff. :D Anyways, Imma shut up now so ya'll can read. Oh, and please review! :D

Note: Updates may be slow for a while after this one. Not only am I in the process of writing the next chapter, I also have to contend with schoolwork as well. I promise that I'll continue writing; it may just be a little slower than usual.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Final Amends**

Zuko ascended the stairs of the palace building, carrying a sullen Katara in his stout arms. Soon they came to the door of the building, and Katara pulled on the handle so she and Zuko could fit through. The door softly shut behind them, leaving them in the large interior hallway. Just off to the right side were Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Momo (who was now on Suki's shoulder), who were all gathered around a single wooden door.

Sokka was the first one to see Zuko and Katara coming towards them. "We found a spare guest room to put Aang in," he explained to the newcomers. Nodding his head at the door, he added, "He's on the couch in the middle of the room." Glancing down at his sister, a flash of concern shone in his sharp eyes. "What's wrong with Katara?"

"She just needed some assistance getting up here," stated Zuko, placing Katara down on her feet as they stopped near the door. Toph made no move to look up at the newcomers, choosing instead to keep her shattered eyes hidden behind her raven bangs. Suki's eyes were still filled with tears as she watched Katara walk up to Sokka, her heart aching with immense pain for the young woman she considered her sister.

"I need to see Aang," softly said Katara to her brother, a desperate plea hidden in her quiet voice. "I…" – she paused to sigh heavily – "I need to say good-bye to him, and…I also have things to tell him." She held her head down and gazed at the red carpet under feet, her eyes flooded with shame and regret. "Some things I never got the chance to tell him when he…he was…" She couldn't bring herself to say those final words, the words that tortuously reminded her of what Aang once was and never will be again…

Alive.

Sokka tenderly cupped his sibling's chin, gently lifting her broken eyes up so that he could meet her gaze. "I understand," sympathetically said Sokka, his eyes softer than they ever had been on this endless journey of theirs. He knew how close she and Aang had once been, how they had always been the absolute best of friends. It didn't seem fair to him; his sister already had to bear their mother's death on her fractured heart for so long…

And now this.

Sokka wrapped his arms around Katara's shoulders, bringing her into a warm embrace that she readily returned. "We'll get through this, Katara," he firmly said, trying to stay strong for his beloved sister. He felt Katara take in a shuddering breath, and he lovingly kissed the side of her head. "I promise…" he softly added with a tight squeeze of his hardened arms, sending as much of his brotherly love to her as he possibly could. The two siblings unwrapped from each other's arms, seeing the tears that threatened to break forth from both of them.

Katara stood before the doorway and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was ahead. When she was ready, she reached out to the door with a shaky hand. Grasping the bronze handle, she slowly pushed forward until she was in the guest room. She slowly closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she saw what lay ahead of her.

The guest room was decorated with Fire Nation adornments, a grim reminder of the past century of conflict. As her brother had said, Aang was in the middle of the room, lying on a maroon couch. His closed eyes stared up at the ceiling, his entire form still with the icy grip of death. Even his arrows seemed darker than usual, covered with the dirt and grime of his final battle.

Just the very sight of him caused Katara's tears to leak once more, silent spasms of grief racking her frail chest. Before she made a move towards the couch, she heard Toph mutter, "This sucks."

"Sucks?" angrily asked Sokka. "_Sucks?_" His voice grew louder as he yelled, "Of all the words that could describe this situation, you picked _sucks?_"

"Well it does suck, Meathead!" the Blind Bandit snapped, a harsh tone in her voice. Katara turned her head towards the door and placed her ear against it so she could hear better.

"This is way beyond the bounds of sucking, Toph!" bitterly retorted Sokka. "This is the most horrible thing that's ever happened to us! This is _a thousand_ times worse than when Aang was killed in Ba Sing Se!"

"At least we were able to bring him back to life then!" shouted Toph, her voice cracking slightly with misery.

Sokka contemptuously scoffed and ragingly said, "Guess what, Toph?" His voice grew more high-pitched as he screamed, "There_ is_ no bringing him back this time! Aang is dead, do you hear me? Aang is _dead!_" Katara covered her mouth to keep her sobs from breaking forth, hating to see such burning anger in her brother.

"Shut up, Sokka!" brokenly demanded Toph, and Katara could tell from her tone that she was crying. "I don't want to hear you say that!"

"Like it matters at this point!" furiously shouted Sokka, causing a choked sob to break out of Toph's mouth. His anger consumed him as he madly said, "After everything Aang's gone through with us, after everything he's done…" There was a loud _thud_ on the wall next to the door, causing Katara to jump slightly out of fear. She knew from the sound that Sokka had punched the wall out of his raging anger. "After all that he's done, he just dies! It's not fair!"

"Sokka," concernedly interjected Suki, "please calm down-"

"How can I calm down at a time like this?" Sokka screamed at his girlfriend. "The War may be over, but Aang is still dead!" His voice cracked as he miserably said, "Do you have any idea of much that kid meant to all of us?"

"We do, Sokka," calmly replied Zuko, his authoritative voice bringing a sense of order to this chaos. "We all know how much Aang sacrificed to save the world, which is why we can't dishonor his memory by bickering amongst ourselves. Aang may be gone, but we're still here; we can still finish his job." His voice softened as he added, "Now pull yourself together, Sokka. We all have to stay strong for each other, especially for Katara."

"I know," quietly affirmed Sokka. He sadly sighed and heavily added, "I don't know how she's going to get through this…"

"To make matters worse," stated Zuko, "she only just realized her feelings for Aang hours ago." Katara's muffled sob collided with her hand as she heard Suki let out a shocked gasp, her whole body sliding down the door until she was slumped onto the floor.

"That poor girl…" sorrowfully murmured Suki. "I can't imagine what she's going through right now. I mean, she only just realized that she loved Aang and now…" She forlornly sighed. "Now it's too late."

"Why'd you have to do it, Twinkle Toes?" sobbed Toph, her strong front completely shattered by recent events. "Why'd you have to go and leave Sugar Queen behind? Why'd you have to die?" The blind Earthbender's fragile façade of strength failed her as she began to sob even harder, her petite voice full of vulnerability and child-like fear.

"Please don't cry, Toph," soothingly said Suki, and Katara could hear the Kyoshi Warrior move over to embrace the crying Earthbender.

"I can't help it," uselessly moaned Toph, all power and smugness vanished from her usual tone. "Why did Aang have to die, Suki? Why did that knucklehead have to die?" Toph's sobbing only increased in its strength, consuming all of her being as she grieved for the fallen Avatar.

Suki tiredly sighed. "I don't know why, Toph," she helplessly murmured. "I just don't know…" The group outside the door fell silent, all except for Toph as she continued to weep.

Katara finally recovered from her own silent crying, wiping the glistening tears from her tan skin as she glanced back at Aang. She shakily sighed, building up what little courage she had left in her deadened heart. When she was ready, she slowly got to her feet and breathlessly made her way to the couch-side. As she stood over the lifeless Avatar, she thought of how peaceful he looked in his eternal slumber, how all the worries and hardships of the mortal world had vacated his visage.

A choked gasp escaped Katara's lips as she knelt down by the couch, her hands trembling as she reached over and took Aang's right hand into her grasp. She shivered at cold touch of his ghost-like skin, as if his entire being had been consumed by a blizzard of eternal death.

She sniffled a little, trying her hardest not to cry once more. "Hi, Aang," she softly said with a small smile, gazing kindly upon her friend's still face. "I don't know if you defeated Fire Lord Ozai or not, seeing as how…how…" She knew it was useless to iterate the obvious, though she had a feeling that Ozai did not survive the fight as well; after all, if the Fire Lord _was_ alive, why didn't he kill the others? "…But if you did beat him, I'm extremely proud of you." Tears leaked into her eyes, her well of sorrow filling completely to the brim. "I can't even begin to describe how _proud_ of you that I am. I've seen you grow up so much over our journey, and you certainly have earned your right as the Avatar."

She hung her head down, feeling disgusted with herself; Aang deserved much more than this half-hearted praise, much more than this useless prattling. She looked back up as she said, "What am I even saying, Aang? You're the hero on this day, you're the one who deserves all the credit. You've been the hero all along, ever since the day I met you. You may have been reluctant about accepting your role as the Avatar, but I've seen you become the man you were truly meant to be." Her gentle smiled returned, sincerity in her voice as she said, "You bore responsibilities that I could only imagine bearing, and that's what made you stronger than all of us combined."

She sighed once more, knowing that the time had come to tell him the truth about her feelings. "I don't know if you were listening to me before or even if you're listening to me now, but there's something I need to tell you…something that you deserve to know." She squeezed his limp hand, trying anything to connect with the boy's departed spirit. "I…I…" she began to say, timidity and nervousness overwhelming her senses. She finally regained control of herself, a resolute beat resounding in her battered heart. "I love you," she firmly said, dead-seriousness and absolute certainty flooding her voice. Her face erupted into a warm smile as she affectionately said, "I love you, Aang. I love you so much that it hurts, now more than ever before. I love you with all of my heart, from now until the end of the world."

Her smiled faded away, tears flowing down her face as regret took hold of her heart. "I know that I hurt you because of my rejection back at Ember Island, but I was just so afraid of losing you." A broken sob escaped from her throat, knowing that that fear had become fully realized. "I should have known how I felt about you all along, and I'm ashamed I didn't realize how much I loved you sooner. You were my entire world, Aang; everything I did was for you." She held his hand to her chest, as if to transfer her own life energy from her heart to his. "Can you ever forgive me for being such an idiot?" she pleadingly begged, her voice cracking with sorrow.

Aang's body was silent to her plea, and Katara knew that she would never see his answer. "I didn't expect you to forgive me…" she regretfully murmured, dropping her gaze to the arrow on the hand she was holding. She glanced back up at Aang, though her gaze was fixed on his lips. She had only felt the softness of his lips three times: once in the Cave of Two Lovers, an innocent kiss that was only used as a last resort; the second time at the Invasion, a surprise she didn't expect and somewhat enjoyed; and the third time on Ember Island, when he had kissed her after she said she was confused about her feelings. That third time she had been furious that she had kissed him, but now…now things were different.

Maybe…just maybe…

Katara felt herself leaning in towards Aang's face, her eyes slowly closing as her lips inched ever closer to his. This could be her last chance to do this, to show Aang that she truly did love him. As her chin grazed his cheek, her heart began to race. This was it; she was going to kiss Aang, and this time she _wanted_ to kiss him. Her lips came within a hair's breadth of his mute lips, her eyes closed as she prepared herself…

She stopped herself, her eyes snapping wide open.

No.

This…this was wrong. How could she be so selfish? The first time she would _willingly_ kiss him is when he was dead and gone, never to experience the full joy of kissing the reciprocated love of his young life.

She harshly pulled herself back, falling to the floor as she let go of Aang's hand. Her tears soaked through her skin, reminding her of the arrogance she had just displayed. She was appalled with herself; never before had she acted so deliberately selfish, not even in all the time she had spent traveling around the world with her friends.

She reached down to her neck and released the clasp on her choker, holding her prized trinket in her hands. In the polished stone, she could see her own reflection, a mirror image of the abomination she had become.

She didn't deserve this necklace anymore; it was meant for one who gave everything to defend the ones they loved, never once thinking about their own selfish wants and needs.

Katara knew she was not that person…not anymore.

She tenderly reached out and took hold of Aang's limp hand, placing it on his quiet chest. She interlaced her necklace into his fingers, leaving the stone to rest on his bare skin. "I'm sorry, Aang…" she dejectedly whispered, disgrace and humiliation flooding her soul. "Please…accept this necklace as a token of my repentance. Let it be a guiding light for you in the Spirit World, and let it be a promise to you as well; I promise you that I will make up for my mistake. I will find a way to ensure that your legacy lives on, even if it takes me to my grave."

She bowed her head, closing her eyes as she tried to feel any kind of connection to the Avatar. "I know how much I've changed you…now it's time for you to change me." She fell silent as she paid her final respects to Aang, her face streaming with penitent tears. She didn't know how she was going to make this up to Aang, but she knew she would find a way. After all, there had to be _some_ way she could honor this boy, the greatest of all Avatars.

She opened her eyes and looked up, gazing upon Aang's face for what she knew was the last time. "Good-bye, Aang…" she softly said, utter finality filling her voice. "From this day on, you will always be in my heart." She stood up, proudly staring at her best friend. She turned around, resolutely walking back towards the door of the guest room.

She never once looked back, but she knew in her heart that not even final good-byes amend everything…

She slowly pulled the door open, allowing herself to come into view of the others as they looked at her. "I'm finished," she softly said, walking past the others and down the hall.

"Where are you going?" called out Zuko, causing her to stop. To tell the truth, she had no idea where she was going; she just wanted to be alone, to ride out this storm of grief on her own.

"I need time to think," she truthfully replied as she turned to face the others. Zuko understandably nodded, but she could also see her brother's eyes widen.

"Katara," he shockingly said, "what did you do with Mom's necklace?" Katara held a hand to her throat, which was completely bare now. It felt odd to _not_ be wearing it, but it was a necessary sacrifice that she had to make.

She dropped her hand, looking at her brother with firm eyes. "I gave Mom's necklace to Aang."

"Why?" inquired Sokka as he took a few steps toward Katara, confusion thick in his voice.

Katara sadly glanced down to her right, her shame and guilt returning to her broken heart. "He deserves it much more than I do…" She turned around and continued walking down the hall, not wanting to talk to anyone else.

"What does she mean by that?" perplexedly asked Sokka as Katara rounded a nearby corner, leaving his line of sight.

Zuko walked up next to Sokka, his eyes locked on where Katara had walked off to. "I'm not sure," he honestly replied. He turned his gaze to Sokka and said, "I'm going to check on her." As Sokka turned to look at him, he added, "Katara wouldn't give up that necklace without a good reason."

"Well, she isn't really thinking clearly," pointed out Sokka.

"_None_ of us are thinking clearly, Sokka," bluntly said Toph, causing the two teenage boys to glance back at her. Her sadness had crumbled away, leaving a slightly bitter core in its place. "If any of us _were_ thinking clearly, then that would mean that we're not sad about Aang."

"There's a difference between thinking clearly and managing your emotions," sagely stated Zuko. "Thinking clearly is just critically analyzing a situation, pushing aside all personal bias. Managing your emotions is much harder; when you can't manage your emotions, that's when you can't think clearly."

Toph humorlessly scoffed, her sightless eyes scrunched angrily. "If that's the case, then my brain is just like a Scorpion-Bee hive; raging mad and endlessly buzzing in my head." She irately crossed her arms, leaning back so hard against the wall that thin cracks began to appear in the wood.

Sokka wearily sighed. "I'll deal with Toph," he said to Zuko as the blind Earthbender angrily blew an annoying bang out of her face. "You go take care of my sister." Zuko turned to leave, but Sokka stopped him by saying, "Be gentle with her, okay? I'm scared that she might crack at any moment."

"I'll keep that in mind," assured Zuko, eliciting a grateful nod from Sokka.

Just as Zuko began to walk off, Sokka said, "Hey, Zuko." The Firebender turned his head towards Sokka again. "I'm sorry about your Dad," Sokka sincerely said. Zuko knew what Sokka was talking about; while Katara had been in the guest room with Aang, Sokka had told him about the final battle and how Ozai died along with Aang.

"Why would you care about what happened to my father?" incredulously asked Zuko. "We all knew what kind of man he was."

Sokka merely shrugged. "He may have been a psychotic maniac," he admitted, "but he was still your Dad, and no one, no matter who they are, deserves to lose their father." Zuko was taken a bit aback by Sokka's genuine sincerity, but in the end he generously smiled at Sokka and thankfully nodded his appreciation. Sokka smiled in kind before turning his attention to Toph, whose fuming eyes looked like they could bore a gaping hole in the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko made his way down the corridor, heading to where Katara had walked off to. He found her curled up against the wall as he rounded the corner, her knees hugged to her chest as her mournful eyes endlessly stared down at the floor. "Hey," he softly called out, causing her to tiredly glance up at him. "Do you mind if I join you?" She silently shook her head, and Zuko plopped down on the floor beside her, his eyes fixed on her the whole time as her gaze went back to the floor. He said nothing as he patiently stared at her, allowing her to gather herself before she spoke.

After nearly five minutes of silence, Katara finally said, "The world feels so empty without him." Zuko simply nodded, both of them knowing full well of who she was referring to.

"At least he was able to stop my father," helpfully put in Zuko. "Sokka told me that both my father and Aang died at the same time, and that the airship fleet has also been stopped as well."

"Does it even matter anymore?" dismally sighed Katara. "This war is finally over, but now the world has lost the Avatar again." She closed her eyes, all hope gone from her youthful heart. "Even in our greatest moment of triumph, we've already lost."

"We haven't lost, Katara," Zuko firmly stated, causing her to half-open her eyes. "Aang may be gone, but we are far from lost. This is our chance to prove that we can continue on his work and bring the world back to the way it once was. Listen, I know it's hard right now for you and that you feel like giving up, but this is your chance to show Aang just what you can do for the world." Katara remained silent, though her shattered eyes did begin to fill with tears.

Zuko's amber eyes softened at this heart-breaking sight; Katara had always been the strong one in their small group, the one who always kept them so full of hope. Now _she_ was the one in need of hope, of a kind and caring hand to bring the light back into her darkened eyes.

"Why did you give up your necklace?" he hesitantly inquired, hoping she wouldn't break from his question.

"It wasn't mine to have anymore," she shamefully replied.

"What do you mean?" he confusedly asked, not getting what she meant.

"That necklace belonged to someone who was willing to give up everything to protect the ones they loved." Tears sliding down her face, she mournfully added, "My mother was the first one to make that sacrifice, and I was willing to do the same with Aang and the rest of the group." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she said, "It's like I took a vow, a vow that I broke when I rejected Aang and let him die in the final battle."

"But why do you feel that Aang deserves it more than you?"

Katara miserably sighed. "Aang gave up everything to protect the ones he loved…including me. He was able to keep his vow while I couldn't, and that's why I gave my necklace to him."

Zuko comprehensively nodded. "So it's a matter of honor, then? You feel like you've lost your honor because you failed to protect Aang and now you want to make up for that mistake." Katara's only response was a solemn nod. Zuko understood how she felt; losing one's honor was hard, and getting it back is certainly not easy.

But she didn't need honor right now…

She needed a friend.

"Katara," he softly said, gently trying to get her attention. His tone seemed to work, for she slowly glanced up at him. "I can't even begin to imagine the pain that you're in now and that there's no way I could possibly understand what you're going through, but I'm letting you know that if you need anything, and I mean _anything_, I'll be here for you. Whether it's a shoulder to cry on or a comforting hug or even just a smile, I'll be there." He warmly smiled at her, showing her that he meant every word. Katara's face didn't change, though Zuko did see a tiny glimmer of light sparkle in her sapphire eyes.

Katara sniffled, wiping her tears away with her wrist. "Can I please have a hug?" she timidly asked, her voice full of innocence and child-like apprehension, as if she was afraid she wasn't going to get what she wished for.

"Certainly," merrily assured Zuko, holding out his arms to her. A small smile took flight on Katara's lips, and soon she found herself enveloped by the Firebender's warm embrace. Katara's smile remained on her lightened face as she closed her eyes, feeling safe from the harsh, cruel world around her. Zuko calmly smiled as he stroked Katara's hair once more, just like he had done when the others had taken Aang inside. The two teens stayed where they were for several minutes, letting their friendship speak volumes in their hearts.

Soon they separated, staring at each other with pleasant smiles and shining eyes. "Thank you, Zuko," she sincerely said, gratefulness apparent in her tone. Zuko merely smiled and nodded, glad that she was doing at least a little better. He knew Sokka would be grateful for his graceful handling of the fragile situation. Katara glanced down at Zuko's arms, her eyes widening as a gasp escaped her lips. "You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, shocked by the crimson trails on the Firebender's arms.

Zuko glanced down at his wound and back up at Katara as he better presented his injury and said, "You kind of scratched me during our struggle."

"Oh my gosh!" gasped Katara as she covered her mouth with her hands, suddenly feeling ashamed of herself. "I'm so sorry!" she quickly said, grabbing his arms so she could better get at the wounds. "Let me heal you!"

"It's fine-"

"No it's not!" she frantically insisted, uncapping her water flask and bending the liquid contents onto her hand. "Shoot, I'm such an idiot!" she said as she chastised herself, pouring her chi into the water as it glowed a healing light.

"Really, Katara," chuckled Zuko, amused with her flustered state, "I'm fine. I think getting shot by lightning is far more dangerous than getting scratched by you."

"Oh, just be quiet and let me work!" Katara huffed, pouting her lips out in annoyance as she worked. The scratches on Zuko's skin began to disappear, as did the blood that had been seeping from the wounds. As soon as the wounds cleared up, the water fell from Katara's hands and onto the floor.

"Happy now?" teasingly asked Zuko as Katara inspected her handiwork.

"It'll do," Katara said with a sigh, letting Zuko regain control of his arms. She looked up at him, seeing the smug smirk on his face. "What's with you?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow.

"I saw a little bit of your old self return," he replied with a charming smile, one that made Katara's cheek flush a little when she realized that he was right. Before she could respond, he stood up and asked, "Feeling any better?"

"A little," admitted Katara as she stood up as well, praying that her cheeks would quickly cool down.

"Good," said Zuko with a smile. From down the hall, he could hear Toph angrily shouting something about how she was going to rearrange Sokka's face if he didn't shut up. "Sounds like your brother's got his hands full with Toph."

"I suppose we should help him out," Katara said with a small smile, making her way around Zuko and down the main hall.

"So it seems," agreed Zuko, following close behind the Waterbender.

Just as she had said, Katara could already feel Aang returning to her heart, never absent from her mind as she achingly remembered him. Her smile faded, her head buzzing as she thought of how she was going to survive without him.

Thankfully, her smile returned when she thought of how Zuko would always be there for her.


	4. Misery Loves Company

Hola, mis amigos. :D I have returned to you with yet another chapter of my one (and only, might I add) Zutara fic. We delve yet again into the depression that is Team Avatar...well, without the Avatar. :/ Maybe it's just The Team, now...God, why did Aang have to die? DX But anyways, the story is most definitely going to pick up next chapter, and I think you'll all be very intrigued by what I have in mind. Until then, please enjoy and review! :D

And for those of who are avid fans of mine (whether I know it or not. XD), I do have a oneshot in the works right now, which I hope to have up by next weekend. The only thing I'm going to tell you that it has LOTS of humor and that it's totally going to be nuts. :)

****DISCLAIMER**:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Misery Loves Company**

As Katara and Zuko neared the others, Toph furiously shouted, "For the last time, Sokka, shut up before I smash your face in with a rock!"

"I'm only trying to help you!" protested Sokka, trying his hardest not to flinch under the blind Earthbender's death-like glare.

"I don't need any help!" defiantly declared Toph as Zuko and Katara stopped behind Sokka.

Suki sadly frowned at the petite girl's aggressive behavior. "Toph, we're all upset about Aang, but-"

"But what, Suki?" screamed Toph as she snapped her head towards the Kyoshi Warrior. "What?"

Suki heavily sighed. "Maybe if you would just talk to us about how you're feeling, we can try to help you."

"You really wanna know how I'm feeling?" scoffed Toph. "Fine, I'll tell you! I'm so mad that I can rip apart a hundred mountains with my bare hands! I'm so angry that I could wipe out a thousand legions of Fire Nation soldiers over and over again! You wanna know why I'm so bloody mad? It's because Aang is _dead!_"

"We know that, Toph-" began Sokka before he was promptly silenced by Toph's fist to his nose. Katara frightfully gasped as the Water Tribe Warrior fell back on the floor, clutching his broken nose. "OW!" he painfully screamed as blood gushed out of his nose. "What ya do that for?" he angrily shouted, wincing at the sharp pain shooting through his body.

"I told you to shut up!" shouted Toph, her fists curled up in their unending rage. "All of you need to just shut up and _leave me alone!_" Before anyone could stop her, Toph rushed towards the door they had come in from, harshly slamming it shut behind her.

"I'll go talk to her," quickly said Katara as she followed in Toph's footsteps.

"What about my nose?" demanded Sokka, causing his sibling to stop and look back at him. "Aren't you going to heal it?"

"Toph needs more healing than you do right now," reasoned Katara, turning her back on Sokka and making her way towards the door Toph had gone through.

"Oh sure," Sokka sarcastically drawled from behind her, "when the little Earthbending maniac gets angry, everyone goes to help her, but _no one_ thinks to help the guy with the BROKEN NOSE!"

"Now's not the time for jokes, Sokka," chastised Zuko as Katara opened the door, bringing her into view of the courtyard where the Agni Kai had taken place.

"I wasn't joking!" exclaimed Sokka as Katara shut the door behind her. She looked out over the courtyard, seeing the commandeered airship in front of her and Appa off to the left side. Katara walked over to her animal companion, who was lying on his stomach and sadly moaning.

Katara sorrowfully frowned as she walked up to Appa, who looked at her with empty, mournful eyes. "I miss him too, Appa," she sympathetically said as she gently petted the Bison, who let out a sad growl at her touch. Appa's large brown eyes seemed so void of life, as if someone had taken out a vital part of his spirit and left the rest to slowly die. Katara didn't even know if Appa would survive Aang's death; the Avatar and his Animal Guide had been bonded from the first day they met, forever bound together in spirit by fate. She had already lost Aang, leaving Appa and Momo to be her only connection to the deceased Avatar.

Katara looked past Appa to see a small rock dome at the end of the courtyard. She knew that was where Toph must be, so she begrudgingly left Appa's side and made her way over to the rock dome. She kept her wits about her as she approached Toph's hiding spot, not knowing if the blind Earthbender would lash out at her like she did with Sokka.

"Go away, Katara," commanded Toph from inside the dome, causing the Waterbender to stop a few feet away.

"I just want to talk, Toph."

"Go away before I hurt you!" demanded Toph, causing Katara to jump slightly at the harsh tone in Toph's voice.

"You would never hurt me," stated Katara, knowing all too well that Toph considered her to be like a sister.

After a long moment of silence, Toph defeatedly muttered, "You're right…" A muffled sigh emanated from the rock dome. "Talk if you want; I don't care."

"Why are you being so angry?" nervously asked Katara, afraid that she might be broaching too many boundaries already.

Toph humorlessly scoffed. "You should know by now, Sugar Queen. Aang's-"

"Dead," finished Katara, feeling a bitter poison linger on her tongue from that one vile word. "I know…" A long silence passed between the two girls, somberness taking hold of their hearts.

"Nothing's ever going to be the same without Twinkle Toes, is it?" softly asked Toph, her voice slightly cracked from grief.

"I'm afraid so," gloomily replied Katara, sitting on the ground just a few feet from Toph's rock dome. "It's going to be hard to get by without him."

"No kidding," sarcastically droned Toph, an edge of bitterness in her tone. "It's already begun."

Katara blinked her confusion. "What's already begun?"

Toph humorlessly laughed. "Oh come on, Shugs! I can see it happening already, and I'm blind!"

"I don't get what you're saying, Toph," helplessly said Katara. "_What's_ happening?"

"Aang was the only thing keeping us together," explained Toph. A trace of anger seeped into her voice as she forcibly said, "Now that he's dead, we're all going to drift apart."

"Toph-"

"Don't even try to convince me, Katara!" violently interjected Toph. "I can feel the doubt already starting to grow in everyone's hearts! We're all going to leave each other now that Aang is dead!"

Katara could hear something in the proud Earthbender's tone, something that she usually never heard…

Fear.

Toph was _afraid_.

"Toph…" hesitantly began Katara, "…are you scared?"

The blind Earthbender hotly scoffed. "That's like asking me if the sky is blue, and I don't even know what blue looks like!"

"That's not what I'm asking you," pointed out Katara. "I asked you if you were scared about the team drifting apart?"

"So what if I am?" defiantly snapped Toph, causing Katara to jump slightly. "No one would miss me anyway!"

"Toph-"

"It's true, Katara! I'm just the little blind runt who helped teach the Avatar how to Earthbend! That's the only thing I'm going to remembered for! No one's going to care about whether I'm lonely or not, about whether or not I need friends!" Katara was surprised to hear such vulnerability in Toph's usual snarky tone; Aang's death was clearly affecting the blind Earthbender on a far deeper level than she initially thought. Katara knew that, in her own heart, she was forever grieving and mourning for Aang, but she would try to stay as strong as she could for her friends…

At least that way, she could outpour her sorrow on her own terms.

"You guys are the only real friends I've ever had," sorrowfully said Toph, her voice broken by the unbearable weight on her young heart. Her voice grew quieter as she said, "I've never even felt a dead person before this day, but now that I have…I never want it to happen again, not to my friends. Aang didn't deserve to die, not after everything he's done for the world, but I'm scared that our friendship is going to fade away because of Aang's death."

Katara said nothing, letting Toph get all of her pent-up emotions out. "You don't know what it's like," sadly murmured Toph, "not having any friends for most of your life. When you, Aang, and Sokka came along, I felt like a part of me was…I don't know." The petite Earthbender sighed. "I guess a part of me just felt like it was filled up, completed now that I finally had friends to call my own." She paused. "The only times I feel happy is when I'm Earthbending or when I'm with you guys…and without you guys in my life, life is just miserable and empty…just like now…"

"Toph…" softly said Katara, her heart aching with sympathetic pain for her friend. Toph's rock dome crumbled around her, falling into a neat ring around her before sinking back into the ground. Katara could see that Toph's head was held down, her shoulders slightly shaking from her silent crying. Katara crawled over to Toph's side, trying to see the dead and blinded eyes that used to hold the lively and proud spirit of an unstoppable Earthbender past a wall of raven bangs. Katara took up Toph in her arms, holding the young girl against her shoulder as she comfortingly said, "We're not going to drift apart, Toph." With a light squeeze of her arms, she added, "I promise."

The two girls said nothing for five minutes, letting their hearts meld together as a sense of comfort passed between them. Toph slowly stopped crying in that time, her pale eyes staring ever so vacantly into the endless distance. Finally, Toph sniffled and softly said, "Thank you, Katara…"

"You're welcome, Toph," replied Katara with a small smile, trying desperately not to cry as she thought of Aang once more. If only he knew how much pain they were all in because of his death…could he even possibly know, even from his new home in the Spirit World? Katara had no idea, and it was that sad fact alone that made her heart ache with even more grief. Helping both of them to their feet, Katara said, "I guess we should get back to the others; Sokka will be waiting for me to fix his broken nose."

Toph gave a slight smirk, sniffling once as she wiped away her tears. "Knocked him up pretty good, didn't I?" she asked with an edge of pride. Katara gave Toph a smirk in return, glad that she was slowly coming back little by little. The two girls made their way back to the building they had come from, stopping briefly to give a morose Appa their love and affection. Soon they made their way through the wooden door, finding their companions right where they had left them.

Sokka, who was sitting against the wall with a rag held up to his nose, looked over at the newcomers. "About time you guys got back!" he forcefully shouted, wincing slightly from the shooting pain in his fractured nose. "Suki had to tear off some of the curtains in the guest room so that I could use it to stop this bleeding, and I'm not even sure if it's working!"

"Of course it's working, Sokka," said Suki, who was sitting next to her boyfriend. Zuko leaned against the wall on the opposite side of Sokka, his amber eyes focused on Katara and Toph as they walked towards him, Sokka, and Suki.

"How can you be sure it's working?" doubtfully asked Sokka. "Last time I checked, blood was red." Using his free hand, he pointed to his makeshift rag and added, "This cloth is red too! For all I know, it could have soaked up all the blood it could take. I could be bleeding to death right now!"

Katara sighed as she stooped down in front of her brother and said, "You're not going to bleed to death from a broken nose, Sokka." As much as her brother had grown during their journey, he could still be that little boy who always made a big deal out of unimportant things.

"I sure hope not!" exclaimed Sokka as he turned to look at his sister. "I'm not gonna die after going through at least two dozen amped-up Firebenders!"

"Come on," Katara said as she took hold of Sokka's free hand, pulling both of them to their feet. "Let's go fix your nose." The others were silent as Katara and Sokka went into a room that was opposite of the one that Aang was in, another guest room with a crimson couch in the middle.

As Katara closed the door behind her and Sokka, Zuko heard Suki say, "I wonder if they're going to talk about Aang while they're in there."

"You mean about her feelings for Aang," stated Zuko as he looked down at the Kyoshi Warrior. Toph plopped down beside Suki, her pale eyes hidden once again by her black bangs.

Suki nodded. "Sokka always knew that Aang had feelings for Katara, but he never said anything about it to either of them."

"Why not?" curiously asked Zuko.

Suki sighed as she glanced down at the maroon carpet under her legs. "Sokka told me that he would just let them figure it out on their own; after all, he only wanted what was best for Katara, and he knew that Aang was the best thing that she could possibly have."

"At least he had the right idea," helpfully put in Toph, her early bitterness gone. Suki glanced up at the blind Earthbender with a sad smile. She knew that Toph and Sokka were really good friends since their personalities were so similar; even when they had their disagreements, they would always work things out.

Zuko looked up at the door that Katara and Sokka had gone through, imagining what was going on behind that closed door.

Meanwhile, Katara was seated next to Sokka on the couch, her hands aglow with healing light as she worked to mend the warrior's broken nose. "Try not to talk," instructed Katara as she continued her work, having already wiped up all the blood that had been loosed from Sokka's nose. "I need you to be as still as possible, otherwise your nose might not heal properly." Sokka gave an affirmative grunt in reply, making Katara smile a little. She knew that Sokka wasn't mad at Toph anymore. After all, those two were completely inseparable.

After several long minutes, Katara was finally able to mend Sokka's nose. She bent the water back into her flask, sealing it up with the cap. Sokka gripped his healed nose, wiggling it a little in order to test it out. When he was satisfied, he dropped his hand and cheerfully said, "Good as new! You really got the healing touch, sis!" Katara smiled at her brother's praise, but her smile fell as a familiar and painful ache took hold of her heart. She sadly glanced down at her lap, where she folded her hands on top of her legs. Sokka's cheery smile fell, having noticed his sister's sudden change in demeanor. "You're thinking about Aang, aren't you?"

Katara merely nodded her reply, too grief-stricken to do anything else. Hundreds of memories flashed through her mind, constantly reminding her of the unbelievable journey she had taken with such an incredible young man. "I really miss him, Sokka," she quietly said, her voice weighted with unbearable sorrow.

Sokka knowingly nodded. "I miss him too, Katara," he sympathetically replied. He gently took Katara's hands in his, something he did when she needed to be comforted. He felt his heart twinge with pain, remembering that the last time he had done this was when their mother died. "I'm sorry that you never had the chance to tell Aang how you felt about him," he softly said, trying his hardest to stay strong for his beloved sibling.

Katara felt her eyes fill with tears, her lips slightly trembling with misery. "How long did you know about how Aang felt about me?" she painfully asked, her heart feeling as if it would give out at any moment.

"Probably since Makapu Village, maybe earlier," replied Sokka. He gave her a slight smirk. "I wasn't kidding when I was teasing Aang about being in love; I could tell that he really liked you." He paused, waiting for Katara to say something. When she didn't respond, he said, "Do you remember that Aang and I went to the top of Mount Makapu?" Katara nodded. "We went up there because Aang wanted to get a Panda Lily. I think he wanted to give it to you as a gift."

A sad smile took hold of Katara's lips, her tears falling onto her arms. "That's just like Aang; risking his neck by going up to the top of a volcano just to get a flower." Her smile fell once more, knowing that she would never receive such a gift from Aang…not now, not ever.

Sokka lovingly squeezed her hands. "I'm sure Aang wanted nothing more than to tell you how much he cared about you, to show you how much he loved you." Katara let out a choked sob strong enough to make tears appear in Sokka's hardened eyes. "I wanted nothing more than for you two to be happy with each other."

"I know…" brokenly muttered Katara, her pain redoubling in her fractured heart. "It's not fair…why did he have to die so soon, Sokka? Why did he have to die before I could tell him that I loved him?"

Sokka heavily sighed, his tears threatening to break loose. "I wish I knew, Katara," he solemnly replied. "I wish I knew…" He gently squeezed Katara's hands again, trying to send as much comfort to her as he could. They were silent for nearly five minutes, the only sounds heard being the stifled sobs that Katara tried so hard to contain. Finally, Sokka lovingly kissed Katara's forehead, trying everything he could to make her feel better. "Come on," he tenderly said as he sat back up. Katara's eyes drifted up to him as he said, "You need to get some rest." He carefully, softly wiped away her tears, just like he used to when they were little.

"I want to be with Aang," said Katara, her eyes full of a pleading light.

Sokka sighed. "Katara-"

I need to be by his side," interjected Katara. "Please, Sokka…just this once…please…" Her eyes were so full of longing and begging that Sokka couldn't take it, for it truly broke his heart to see his proud sister torn down like this. After a few long moments, Sokka nodded his approval. Katara gratefully smiled at Sokka, who returned the small smile.

"How about a hug before we go?" asked Sokka, and Katara agreeably chuckled as the siblings embraced one another. In her ear, Katara heard Sokka whisper, "If you ever need someone to talk to, you'll always have me. Don't you ever forget that."

Katara chuckled as she smiled and lightly squeezed her brother with her arms. "You're the best, Sokka," she sincerely said.

"Eh, I try," modestly admitted Sokka as they separated from their embrace. Katara merely rolled her eyes at her brother's attempt to be smug, but she still smiled nonetheless. Despite his sometimes obnoxious attitude, Sokka was still her brother, and he always made her smile no matter what. "Come on," he said as he nudged her elbow with his. "I'm sure Aang's eagerly waiting for you." Katara's sullenness immediately returned, and she mournfully gazed down at the carpet. Realizing his mistake, Sokka quickly said, "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just saying-"

"It's fine, Sokka," assured Katara as she looked back at her brother. She gave him a feeble smile. "I'm sure Aang's watching over us right now, and I'm sure that he's waiting for me in that room."

"Just don't do anything crazy," warned Sokka, and Katara could sense what he meant by the overly-cautious tone in his voice. "One of us dead is bad enough; you don't need to be joining Aang anytime soon."

"You don't need to worry about me doing that sort of thing," asserted Katara, a deadly serious tone in her voice. "I may be grieving because of Aang, but I'm not about to do something as insane as that."

"I would hope not," firmly stated Sokka as he rose from the couch, followed shortly after by Katara. The two siblings made their way out of the room, coming once again into view of the others. Turning to Zuko, he said, "Katara's going to spend the night watching over Aang. I think the rest of us should stand guard out here while we decide what to do next."

"Sounds good to me," replied Zuko with a nod, watching as Katara slipped into Aang's room without a word to the others. The Firebender immediately became worried about Katara's safety; would she do something drastic while she was watching over Aang. Turning to Sokka, he asked, "Are you sure she'll be fine in there by herself?"

"Yeah," said Sokka with a quick nod. "She may be going through a lot right now, but she's still able to keep a clear enough head as to not do that sort of thing."

"Besides," interject Toph, "I'll be able to feel if she's about to do something crazy."

"Then I'm counting on you to be on Katara duty," said Sokka, turning his attention to the Blind Bandit.

Toph tilted her head up towards the Water Tribe warrior. "No hard feelings about me breaking your nose?"

"Nah," replied Sokka with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We've got more important things to worry about than holding grudges over harsh words and broken noses." Toph smiled at Sokka, glad that he was able to keep a straight head in all of this unforeseen madness. "Though it really did hurt when you punched me!"

"As it should," sardonically replied Toph, giving her friend a devious smirk that made him smile in return. Sokka glanced over at Zuko and noticed something on the Firebender's midsection, a circular scar that hadn't been there when they were at the Order of the White Lotus' camp outside of Ba Sing Se.

"Where'd you get that scar?" asked Sokka, gaining him the Firebender's attention.

"The one on my face? You already know the story behind that one."

"No no," quickly said Sokka with dismissive waves of his hands. Pointing at Zuko's midsection, he said, "I'm talking about that new one." Suki looked up to see the scar that Sokka was indicating, her eyes widening a little in surprise as she saw the marred skin.

"Oh, that one," said Zuko as he briefly glanced at his midsection. "During my Agni Kai with Azula, she started to generate her lightning. I got ready to redirect it, but when she fired, she wasn't aiming for me."

"Why wouldn't Azula be aiming for you?" incredulously asked Toph, confused by Zuko's story. "That witch has been trying to kill you for like…ever. Why wouldn't she want to zap you out of existence?"

"I was just as confused as you are now," patiently replied Zuko, "but then I realized why she wasn't aiming for me; she was aiming for Katara."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" screamed Sokka at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide with shock and horror. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"Believe me, Sokka, I would never kid about something like that," firmly asserted Zuko. "When I realized that Azula was going to kill Katara, I jumped between her and the lightning, letting it hit me instead of her. I was able to redirect most of the energy, but a lot of it managed to pass through my heart. After Katara defeated Azula, she healed me and saved my life."

Sokka was silent for almost three minutes, letting the fact that his sister almost died sink into his shocked mind. He finally managed a dry gulp, hoarsely saying, "That…that's just messed up."

"No kidding," deadpanned Toph as she blew an annoying bang out of her face.

Sokka looked up at Zuko, his eyes shining with a sense of newfound respect and trust. "I mean, if it weren't for you, Katara would be…you know…" Zuko understandably nodded, not needing Sokka to finish his grim statement. "I owe you an enormous 'thank you', Zuko."

"I just did what I thought was necessary," admitted Zuko with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"I mean it, Zuko," firmly stated Sokka as he walked up to the Firebender. He placed a strong hand on Zuko's shoulder, a solid clasp that emanated admiration and respect. "I owe you because of this. Sure, Katara can be annoying to me sometimes, but she's still my sister, and I love her because of that. If you hadn't done what you did…well, let's just say I'd be one very lonely brother right now." He gave Zuko's shoulder a tight squeeze. "Consider yourself part of my family now; if you ever need anything, we'll be there for you."

"Do you really have the power to make that kind of decision?" asked Zuko, a bit surprised by Sokka's admiration of him and by his offer. "Would your Dad be as willing to accept me into your family as you are?"

Sokka smiled. "After he hears what you did for Katara, he'd practically be _begging_ for you to be part of our family." He patted Zuko's shoulder as he said, "Seriously, man, I can't thank you enough for saving Katara."

"All right, we get it!" impatiently interrupted Toph, causing both boys to look at her. "Either cut it out with the mushy praise or give Princess a kiss!" Sokka profusely blushed as he quickly dropped his hand from Zuko's shoulder, backing at least five feet away from 'Princess', as Toph sometimes called Zuko. "Much better," said Toph, satisfied with her predicted outcome of the situation. Tilting her head up towards Zuko, she asked, "What now, Sparky?"

"Now, we wait," stated Zuko. "Since my father's dead and Azula's been imprisoned, I'm the only one left to ascend the throne, so I'm sure that I'll have to meet with the Fire Sages in order to confirm that I'll be crowned Fire Lord. Other than that, we'll have to wait for word from the Order of the White Lotus in Ba Sing Se. Once we know that the city's been secured, we won't have to worry about any Fire Nation forces making their way back here to seize the Capitol."

"What about Aang?" asked Suki. "Now that he's dead, how is the world going to survive without him?"

"The world survived without Aang for a hundred years," reasoned Zuko. "I'm sure the world can wait another sixteen years before his successor is revealed. Until then, we'll have to hold on without the Avatar. The road ahead will be difficult and treacherous, but if we stick together and strive for peace, we can make it."

Meanwhile, Katara was lying on the floor next to Aang's couch. She could hear the low murmur of her friend's conversation outside of the door, hearing all the details of what was to come now that The War was over. She heard of all the peace talks that would take place, all the different international processes of peace that would seek to mend the horrendous scars that this war had left behind.

She glanced up at the couch, seeing Aang's bald head just above her. It was a strange feeling, being around Aang's still body; she still felt as safe with him as she had felt before, despite the fact that he was dead. In a way, his presence, alive or not, seemed to bring a sense of comfort to her, as if reminding her that not all of Aang was gone from this world.

"Aang," she whispered, "I don't know what tomorrow's going to bring, but whatever comes, I'll try to be ready for it." She sighed as she rolled onto her side, letting her front end face towards the couch. "Good night, Aang," she quietly said, closing her eyes as she tried to get some rest, whether it would come easily to her or not.


	5. Winds of Destiny

Back once more to bring you more of my Zutara story. :) Let me tell you, I got a LOT of this writing done today, like maybe 5000+ words. Let me tell you, that's a LOT of writing. XD Anyways, I'll shut up once more so you can just enjoy my story. Please enjoy and review! :D

****DISCLAIMER**:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Winds of Destiny**

_Katara looked at her surroundings, surprised by what she was seeing. She was at the peak of the Southern Air Temple, looking out over the Patola Mountains that were spread out for countless miles. Looking around, Katara could see nothing; no living thing occupied this ancient place, no creature stirred in the eternal quiet of the stone structure. "Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing in the distance. "Is anyone there?"_

_"Perhaps there is," said a gravelly voice from behind her. She whipped around to see an ancient figure, an old man with a large beard that was as white as snow. He was adorned in a ravishing outfit of deep crimson, an image of a flame etched into the front of the robe. The figure wore a pointed headpiece, which was in the shape of a regal flame. His amber eyes were full of a wise and powerful light, one that made Katara shiver a little with uncertain fear. The figure smiled. "Hello, Katara."_

_It took the Waterbender a few seconds to realize who she was talking to. Her eyes widened, suddenly remembering who this person was. "Avatar Roku?" she cautiously asked._

_"The one and only," affirmed Roku with a small smile. He bowed to her, saying, "It is truly an honor to meet you, Master Katara." Coming out of his bow, he added, "Aang has told me much about you."_

_Katara gasped, her heart racing like a Leopard-Seal through raging rapids. "Is Aang here?" she quickly asked. "Can I speak to him?"_

_A grim frown adorned Roku's face. "I'm afraid not, Katara. Aang is still traveling to the Spirit World, a dangerous process that all Avatars must go through when they die. I came in his place so that he may safely find his way to eternal rest."_

_Katara's shoulders sagged, a sorrowful frown taking hold of her face. "Oh…" she disappointedly muttered, looking down at her shoes with sad eyes._

_Roku took pity on the young girl, saying, "Do not be so crestfallen, my dear. Aang has found peace within himself now; he no longer feels pain."_

_"But I hurt him, Roku," said Katara as she looked up at the past Avatar, seeing kindness blazing in his golden eyes. "I knew that he had feelings for me, but I was too stupid to realize how I felt about him, and now…" She sighed. "Now it's too late…Aang will never know how I felt about him." She looked down at her feet once more, feeling stinging tears assault her eyes._

_Roku's sympathy for the disheartened girl grew, his amber eyes shining with a soft and slightly painful light, as if he felt Katara's pain deep within his being. "If it will bring any consolation to you, I could show you Aang in his final moments." Katara's gaze quickly darted up towards him, her eyes silently pleading for him to do so._

_Katara drew in a shaky breath before she said, "Before you do…can you please tell how he died?"_

_"Of course," assured Roku with a slight nod of his head. "As you know, Aang disappeared from Zuko's vacation home on Ember Island, but you and friends didn't know _why_ he had disappeared. The truth is that a Giant Lion-Turtle picked him up in his sleep, taking him out to sea in an attempt for him to reconcile with his past lives on the matter of his non-violent ways. Much to his dismay, Avatars Kuruk, Kyoshi, and Yangchen gave their arguments on the matter, and Aang came to the realization that he would have to kill Fire Lord Ozai, as much as it went against his ways. He knew that he had to do his duty to the world, no matter what the cost was. When Aang arrived at his final destination, where he faced the Fire Lord, the Lion-Turtle taught him a secret that few Avatars know and even fewer used in their lifetimes: Energybending."_

_"Energybending?" asked Katara, her eyebrows rising slightly in surprise as she wiped away her tears._

_Roku nodded. "The ability to bend the life energy within the body of another being. It is the oldest form of bending, predating even the Avatar and the four elemental bending styles and their respective nations. When the Avatar arrived in this world and the four nations formed, knowledge of Energybending became lost over time, until it was believed that all information on it was lost forever. However, the Lion-Turtle that Aang encountered was the last keep of the art, passing it onto him so that he could use it to defeat the Fire Lord without killing him; he could do this by stripping Ozai of his Firebending."_

_"But something happened, didn't it?" asked Katara, fearing what the response would be._

_Roku's expression grew grim, a slight shadow from his brow momentarily darkening the gleam of his fiery eyes. "When Aang attempted to take away Ozai's bending, their life energies melded together, merging their souls until neither was indistinguishable. The only way to break the contact and preserve the Avatar Spirit was for Aang to destroy his life energy, thus killing Ozai with him." Katara's breath hitched in her throat, finding herself unable to speak because of what Aang had done. "What I am about to show you will determine what you do in your life from here on out, Katara. Are you absolutely sure that you wish to see Aang's final moments?"_

_"Why would seeing Aang in his final moments affect what I do for the rest of my life?" asked Katara, her heart aching with double-fold pain and grief._

_"I cannot say for sure," admitted Roku, "but I believe that, somehow, seeing Aang pass on will affect you on a level that I cannot explain, a level that is beyond the grief and sorrow that normally accompanies the death of dear friend." His voice took on a serious and firm edge as he once again asked, "Are you absolutely sure that you wish to see Aang's final moments?"_

_Katara considered Roku's question for several moments, wondering if what it was what she truly wanted. It had been hard enough seeing Aang's corpse in front of her; could she possibly bear to see him pass on? At the same time, countless questions raced through her mind: what _were_ Aang's last words? Who did he pay tribute to in his final moments? Who did he say his goodbyes to, even when he was alone on the field of battle? Cautious as she was, her curiosity outweighed her wariness._

_Finally, she made her decision with an affirmative nod of her head. "Very well," stated Roku, and the scene around them began to change. Gone was the Southern Air Temple. Gone was the Patola Mountain Range. Gone was the open air of the sacred and holy temple of the long-forgotten Air Nomads. The calm and serene sky turned to dark crimson, clouds of blood-red maroon coating the heavens. Pillars of stone jutted up all around Katara and Roku, humongous mountains off in the far distance. "This is Wu Long Forest," said Roku as he gestured to their new location, "the place where the greatest battle of your age took place." He looked down below them, and Katara followed his gaze._

_She gasped, her eyes widening at the sight below her._

_She and Roku were floating above an earthen pillar, atop of which were two still figures. One was a regal-looking man with rippling muscles, hair as black as the heartless night of death. His cruel face was pale, and his entire being was quiet with the song of eternal rest as he lay on his back. Katara knew that this man was Ozai, for who else could embody all that she and her friends had strived against this past year?_

_But Ozai was not the reason that she had gasped._

_Directly across from Ozai lay a young boy, his chest heaving with frail and unsustainable breaths. His fair skin was marred with scorch marks and grime, slightly fading the blue arrow tattoos that ran the course of his arms and legs, coming to rest upon his bald head in a single arrow._

_"Aang…" she breathlessly said, hardly believing what she was seeing. After all the hardships, after all the failures, after all the struggles and countless battles he had fought in, he was doomed to die upon this forsaken rock, a martyr for all the world to see. She had seen him fall more times than she cared to remember, but this…this was almost too much to bear. Even in his moment of greatest triumph, he had lost everything._

_"I'm sorry, guys," she heard Aang softly say through his choked breathing, his chest contracting and shaking with the painful racks of his death throes. Katara let out a choked sob, burning tears filling her eyes. Even when he was dying, he always thought of his friends, exhibiting the selflessness that made him who he was._

_"I'm sorry, Katara," he whispered as his eyes began to close, the bright and playful light of his spirit gone from his stormy eyes. Katara's convulsive sobs continued to torment her, her grief consuming her until only emptiness and sadness remained._

_As she saw his eyes close for the last time, he quietly, softly, deathly whispered his final words, words that touched her soul like ice down her spine and fire in her heart…_

_"I love you…Katara…"_

_His eyes closed, his body stilling as his spirit, and life, was snuffed out._

_Only silence remained…_

_Aang was dead…_

_And her tears flowed._

_Upon hearing his final words, Katara's will broke, and she fell to her knees as she buried her face in her hands, sobbing miserably and shutting out all else around her. Words utterly failed her, leaving only her sobs and tears to convey her broken spirit. Even with his final breaths, Aang had loved her for all she was, proclaiming his love for her to the whole world even if no one was able to hear him…_

_And it was that thought alone that tore her already shattered heart to even smaller fragments of desolation and despair._

_"I'm sorry, Aang…" she regretfully moaned, endlessly repeating his name on her lips as her sorrow burrowed ever deeper into her aching heart._

* * *

><p>"So are you upset about what happened to Azula?" asked Sokka as he and Zuko made their way down the spacious, maroon hallway. The two of them were heading to Zuko's room because Zuko had said he needed to get something from there. The others were back guarding Katara and Aang, in case there were some disgruntled guards lurking the Palace looking for revenge. Sokka didn't object, of course, since the others needed their rest and he felt like do something else besides sleeping around for a few hours, so now he found himself walking through the halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace with the Crown Prince.<p>

"You mean the fact that she went insane after our Agni Kai?" asked Zuko, his gaze unmovable as he focused on walking. It had been a few hours since Katara had gone to sleep, and in that time Zuko had told the others what had transpired during his Agni Kai with Azula. Needless to say, they had all been somewhat shocked as to the fate of the Princess. Even as Zuko had recounted the moment where Azula lost her mind, he felt a twinge of pain in his heart; he truly did feel sorry about what had happened to his sister, despite the fact that she had nearly killed him.

"Yeah," replied Sokka as he nodded. He kept his eyes on the Firebender, seeing a pondering and thoughtful light shine in his amber eyes. Sokka could see that Zuko carried himself with a new air of confidence and redeemed pride, boldness and courage fueling his every step. Out of all of them, Zuko had been pretty much the only one to keep his head on straight and focus on the task ahead when most of them were mourning the loss of Aang. Sokka admired Zuko for having such strength and fortitude, and he soon had adopted an attitude similar to Zuko's. Broken tears and shattered hearts wouldn't change the fact that Aang was gone and that they needed to move on in order to restore balance to the world.

After a few moments of silence, Zuko said, "Even after everything Azula did to me in my life, even after everything she's put me through…it just kills me to see what's become of her." He paused, a sense of morose somberness falling upon his heart. "She was screaming about how Father was going to punish her for failing him, for not being his perfect daughter, and for the first time in my life, she looked scared and terrified…I've never seen such fear in anyone's eyes before." He paused again. "To be honest, Sokka, I'm still pretty shaken up by what's happened to her."

Sokka understandably nodded as the two of them rounded a corner. "Even though she was one of our greatest enemies, she was still your sister." Zuko nodded in response, choosing to keep his attention focused on walking. Sokka could tell that Zuko had really been hiding how he felt about what had happened to his sister, and that all of those hidden emotions were just now surfacing. "Maybe there's a way to bring her mind back," observed Sokka.

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring Azula back," firmly asserted Zuko, choosing this time to turn his gaze towards Sokka. "It's my father's fault that she's become a perfectionist monster; he's the reason she's lost her mind. All her life, her entire existence has been to please _him_, to make _him_ proud and give his approval of her. Even the slightest hint of failure from her was met with swift retribution and harshness, and that's why she became the cold, calculating Firebender we once knew her as. Now that my father's dead, now that he can't hurt her anymore, I'm going to do whatever I can to heal her mind, to make her see the light and come back to the brother who loves her."

Sokka was taken a little bit aback; Zuko didn't really seem like the loving-sibling type, especially considering that his only kin was Azula. "You love your sister?" he asked, surprise clear in his voice.

"Absolutely," resolutely said Zuko without a moment's hesitation, firmness blazing in his amber eyes. "Even though we almost never got along when we were kids, she was still my sister. There were even rare, fleeting times when she even listened to my worries and concerns, and those are moments that I still treasure to this day." His expression softened. "Plus she's the only family that I've got left besides Uncle. How can I just abandon her, Sokka? Even though she nearly killed me today, I still love her as my sister. What it was Katara who had lost her mind? What would you do?"

Sokka's jaw tightened, his mandible muscles tightening as he seriously looked at Zuko. "I would do whatever it takes to bring Katara back from her insanity. There's no way I would abandon her; she's my sister, and I love her with my whole heart."

"Then you understand where I'm coming from?"

"Absolutely," stated Sokka, a sense of mutual understanding passing between them. After a quiet moment, Sokka said, "I was just a bit surprised to hear you say that you loved Azula." He smirked as he wistfully added, "You two just seemed more like rivals than brother and sister."

Zuko humorlessly smirked. "Yeah, I guess we do come across like that sometimes, huh?"

Sokka jokingly scoffed. "Try _all_ the time." The two of them chuckled as they continued on, soon falling into conversations of what their families had been like when they were both young. For the next five or so minutes, they exchanged embarrassing accounts of their childhood that they were sure their respective sisters would mercilessly tease them about. The two teens really did enjoy each other's company, for they were both pretty easy to talk to.

Soon, they came to Zuko's room, which Sokka admirably whistled at once they entered it. "I gotta hand it to you, Zuko, you royal types sure do know how to live."

"It's all just material comfort," admitted Zuko as he made his way over to the bedside. "It's all pretty meaningless when you look at it all." As he knelt down by the bed, he looked back at Sokka and said, "All the plush pillows and comfy blankets in the world can't compare to the friendship you and the others have given me." He smoothly smiled at Sokka, who returned the gesture with a grateful nod. Zuko looked back to the bed, reaching underneath the bed skirt and splaying out his fingers until he came upon what he was looking for.

"What is it?" asked Sokka as he came up on Zuko's right. The Firebender sat up as he pulled his hand out from under the bed, bringing a strange object up with him. It looked to Sokka to be a royal headpiece, with a red band around the base and two orange stylized flames sticking straight up from the base. In the middle of the flames were two holes, through which was a maroon pin. Sokka gasped, his eyes widening as he said, "I recognize this headpiece. Aang once told me that this used to belong to Avatar Roku."

Zuko nodded, intently staring down at the artifact with fixated orbs of amber. "Before Roku had this, it belonged to my other great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin."

"Yeah, I remember that- wait." He looked up at Zuko, who met his gaze. "If Sozin was one of your great-grandfathers, then…what does that make Roku?"

"As I'm sure you know," said Zuko, "Sozin and Roku were once best friends, and when Roku left on his Avatar Journey, Sozin gave him this headpiece. When my Uncle had given me this headpiece, I learned that while Sozin was my father's grandfather, Roku was my _mother's_ grandfather."

Sokka's eyes widened even further as his jaw dropped slightly. "So you're related to the Avatar?"

"Pretty much," Zuko replied. "My Uncle had told me that since I came from two very powerful bloodlines, I had the power to restore balance to myself and to the world." Looking back at the headpiece, he added, "I also had the power to shape my own destiny, to cast aside all the expectations that my father had placed on me. While Sozin may have been the foundation of my family, Roku was the one who gave me the power to do what was right."

"So this headpiece sort of reminds you of Aang, right?" ventured Sokka.

"In a way," admitted Zuko. "Aang was the spiritual reincarnation of Roku, and I ended up being good friends with Aang when he was alive." He paused, a sense of sorrow permeating his eyes. "I wanted to get this headpiece in order to remind myself of the changes I've made in my life, and the changes that all of you have made in my life. Especially Aang…he was the reason why I found the courage to make my own destiny."

Sokka placed a supportive hand on Zuko's shoulder, causing the Firebender to look up at him. Sokka warmly smiled as he said, "Aang would be proud of what you're doing, Zuko. He was glad that you were able to make your own choices in life, the choices that led you up to where we are now, and I think he would have been grateful to you for having saved Katara." Zuko sincerely smiled at Sokka, too touched for words at the moment. A sense of brotherhood and companionship passed between them, strengthening the bonds of friendships that had already been established.

After a moment, the two of them stood up, and Zuko slipped the headpiece into his pocket. "Let's head on back to the others," he said, and Sokka agreeably nodded with him. The two teens made their way out of the room, heading back the way they had came.

* * *

><p><em>The scene around Katara shifted as she continued to sob, and soon she and Roku were back atop the Southern Air Temple. Katara's misery, sadness, and regret had only increased in their ferocity, making her tears spill over with renewed force.<em>

_"I truly am sorry about Aang," sympathetically said Roku, his voice full of gentle kindness and tender caring. "I know how much he meant to you, and it pains me to see you suffering like this because of my actions."_

_Katara fell onto her hands and knees, her entire being trembling as she slowly looked up at Roku. Through her tears and choked breathing, she brokenly asked, "What…what are you talking about?"_

_A look of guilt plastered itself on Roku's visage. "It was I who told Aang to destroy his own life energy. It was I who convinced Aang to kill himself when he was entangled with Ozai." Katara's eyes widened in shock, a thick film of tears coating her cheeks. "There was nothing else I could do for him, Katara. His death was necessary for the Avatar Spirit to survive. Had there been another way, a way that would have saved Aang's life and led to Ozai's defeat, I would have taken it without hesitation. However, circumstances at the moment were not in our favor, and that is why Aang had to die."_

_He paused, as if waiting for Katara to snap at him out of sheer rage. Instead, Katara solemnly nodded, shakily getting to her feet as she wiped away her tears with occasional sniffles. "I-I understand," she stammered, though Roku could tell that his revelation had shaken her to the core. "W-Was he scared?"_

_"He was," grimly stated Roku, and another sob burst free of Katara's mouth. "He was scared because he did not want to leave you or the others behind. It was never his intention to die, but he knew what his duty to the world was, and he followed his duty despite how unbearably hard it was for him to destroy himself." Roku's expression softened, his amber eyes almost seeming to dim. "What he did was incredibly brave, Katara, and I truly hope that you realize that."_

_"Of course I do," quickly stated Katara, absolute seriousness in her voice. "As long as I live, I'll never forget what Aang did for the world…and for me."_

_Roku nodded, his expression growing more serious and steadfast. "While your friends strive to restore balance to the world, there is one thing that you must do, a task of the greatest importance."_

_"What would that be?" asked Katara._

_"The restoration of the Airbenders," replied Roku, causing Katara's eyes to widen in surprise. "As you already knew, Aang was the last human Airbender alive in the world. Now that he has passed on, there is no one left to teach the new Avatar how to Airbend. Without Airbending, the Avatar Cycle will end, and the world will slowly fall into chaos and madness."_

_"But there is one Airbender left," said Katara, realizing a flaw in Roku's statement. "Aang had a Sky Bison named Appa. Sky Bison were the original Airbenders, so it would only make sense that Appa would be the one to teach the new Avatar Airbending."_

_Roku's expression darkened as he said, "I'm afraid Appa is not the solution to our problem, Katara."_

_"What do you mean?" confusedly asked Katara as she raised an eyebrow._

_"As Aang's Spirit Guide, Appa was connected on a very deep spiritual level with the young Avatar. Normally, at the time of the Avatar's death, their Spirit Guide would go mad from grief, usually choosing to destroy themselves and following their masters into the Spirit World. However, Appa has not done this, and that is because of you."_

_"How can that be?"_

_Gesturing to Katara, Roku said, "As the closest person to Aang, you shared a special connection with him. It is hard for me to explain in simple terms, but what I can say is that a part of Aang's being became somewhat intertwined with yours, and part of that was Appa's connection to Aang. Appa is alive because of _you_, Katara. As long as you live, Appa will persevere."_

_"But you said that Appa wasn't the solution," pointed out Katara, feeling somewhat confused by the cryptic nature of Roku's reasoning. How was it that a part of Aang had become part of who she was? As much as it confused her, she felt glad and extremely honored that, at least, a small portion of her best friend would continue to live on in her._

_Roku became more sorrowful as he solemnly said, "That I did. Appa's connection to you isn't nearly as strong as it was with Aang. As a result, he is slowly dying."_

_"Appa's dying?" frightfully gasped Katara, her eyes going wide with astonishment._

_Roku grimly nodded. "Within three or four years' time, Appa will lose the will to live, and his spirit will pass on to join Aang in the Spirit World." Katara took a staggered step backwards. She had just lost Aang to the darkness of death, and now Appa would so follow? Tears filled her eyes once more, her heart already mourning the inevitable loss of her animal companion. "In that time, you must find someone for Appa to teach the original ways of Airbending. If you do not, the Avatar line will slowly die out, and the world will be in grave danger. Do you understand what your task is, Katara? It is nothing less than the survival of the Avatar Spirit, and the world as well."_

_It all seemed too much for Katara to take in at once; she would be the one responsible for the survival of the Avatar, and the balance that the Avatar maintained. But how could she find someone for Appa to teach Airbending in just three or four years? The Air Nomads were extinct now that Aang was dead, so who else could learn their way? The task at hand seemed too large, too impossible, for her to grasp all at once. "What about my friends and family?"_

_"You would have to leave them behind," replied Roku. "As soon as you awaken from this dream, you must take Appa and search all over the world for prospective students. Every moment is crucial, and that is why you must go alone. Your friends and family will do what they can to restore the balance of the world while you are gone, but you will not see them until after your task is complete. This is your duty now, Katara; to restore the ways of Airbending to the world. Do you accept the task that has been set before you?"_

_Katara thought about what Roku had said for several minutes, the weight of the entire world on her shoulders. How could she leave behind her friends? How could she leave behind Sokka and their father? She knew that they would need her help, but she knew that the Avatar Spirit had more need of her help at the moment. Could she truly leave behind everyone she cared about in order to do her new duty? She had always been part of a group, strong and resolute in their bonds of friendship and fellowship._

_She thought of Sokka, the brother she dearly loved with her heart, the boy who had become a true man over their journey._

_She thought of Toph, the petite Earthbender who had become like a dear sister to her._

_She thought of Suki, the kind and formidable Kyoshi warrior who was also like her sister._

_She thought of Zuko, the redeemed and honorable young man who had fulfilled his destiny and made up for his past mistakes._

_She thought of Aang…_

_She thought of everything that Aang had meant to her._

_She thought of how his smile had brightened her world, day after day._

_She thought of how he made her smile, how he made her heart and soul soar with great and uncontained joy._

_She thought of all the struggles and hardships he had been through, how his young spirit had helped him to forge on ahead even in the face of impossible adversity._

_She thought of how he had become the Avatar he was meant to be, a figure that the world would sing great praise of in the years to come._

_She thought of how proud she was of him, how much she had cared about him…_

_How much she had loved him…_

_…_

_She thought of how she had watched him die, how he had given up everything to save the world._

_She thought of her promise to him, how she had vowed to make up for her mistake…_

_And now, she had the chance to do so._

_She would give herself up completely in order to do her duty._

_"For Aang," she whispered to herself, a silent mantra that endlessly repeated in her mind. Looking up at Roku, she resolutely said, "I accept the task that has been set before me. From this day forward, I vow to never rest until Airbending has been restored to the world."_

_Roku proudly smiled, his ancient face beaming with joy. "Thank you, Katara. Words cannot describe how grateful I am because of your decision." Raising a hand in blessing, he reverently said, "Go in peace, Master Katara. May the wind flow beneath your wings, and may you never falter in your quest."_

_"I won't fail you," promised Katara as she began to feel the world around her shift, signaling the end of the dream._

_"Before I go," said Roku as he began to fade, "there is something I must tell you: you will meet the new Avatar in your lifetime, and when you do, you must offer them whatever aid you can."_

_"But how will I know who the Avatar is?"_

_As Roku faded out, his ghostly voice said, "You will know who they are, for they will come bearing something you have lost. Goodbye, Katara, and may the blessing of the Avatar Spirit be with you…"_

_And all faded to silent white…_

Katara's eyes opened, finding herself surrounded by mellow darkness. She glanced up at the couch, seeing Aang's lifeless form above her. She quietly got up from her resting position, getting on her feet as she looked down at Aang. He looked so peaceful and serene in death, and she even thought he had the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips.

She smiled at the thought of Aang smiling, and she softly said, "Don't you worry, Aang. I won't let you down in your next life. I promise." With that, she quickly, but quietly, made her way to the door, silently slipping through it after one lasting glance at Aang.

As she closed the door behind her, she noticed two figures on either side of her. On her left side was Suki, who was fast asleep against the wall. On her right side sat Toph, whose raven bangs obscured her eyes. Katara thought it was best not to wake them, but before she even took three steps towards the courtyard door, Toph surprised her by asking, "Going somewhere, Sugar Queen?"

"Ah!" quietly cried out Katara, jumping at the unexpected noise. Toph chuckled as she looked up with open eyes, which were twinkling with amusement. "Don't do that," breathed Katara, trying to get over her scare.

"Couldn't help it," shrugged Toph. "Kinda hard to ignore you when your footsteps echo in my head."

"True," agreed Katara, remembering Toph's seismic abilities. "Are you feeling better, Toph?" she asked, recalling their earlier encounter.

"Yeah," nodded Toph. "I let my fear and grief get out of control, and I kinda lost it for a while." She paused, a sense of contemplation crossing her pale brow. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since you talked to me."

"Oh?" asked Katara.

Toph affirmatively nodded. "I was thinking of how Aang would want us to pull ourselves together, to try and move on from his death so that we can focus on fixing the world." She looked up at Katara. "Yeah, we're all upset about his death, but there's a time to grieve and a time to move on. I've made the decision to move on so that I can honor Aang by helping to restore balance to the world. I was being stupid before when I thought that we'd all drift apart because of Aang dying, but I realized that our friendship is only going to grow stronger because of this." She smiled, sincerity gleaming on her lips. "Even when Aang's gone, he's the thing that's keeping us all together."

Katara smiled as well, truly glad that Toph was doing much better than before. "Where are Sokka and Zuko?" she asked as she looked around, noticing that both boys were missing.

"They went to Sparky's room to get something," answered Toph, blowing a bang out of her face with an annoyed huff. "From what I can feel, they're on their way back right now, about a few minutes away." Katara's heartbeat quickened, hoping that she wouldn't have to confront her brother before she left. Toph took notice of her sudden jump in pulse and asked, "What's with you? You scared about something?"

"No," quickly replied Katara, looking over her shoulder to make sure that the boys hadn't made it back sooner than Toph had predicted.

Toph disappointedly sighed. "And yet you still can't learn to not lie around me." Giving Katara a discerning tilt of her head, she said, "It seems to me that you want to get out of here, like you've got some important mission to do or something."

Katara groaned, annoyed that she had been caught by Toph's lie-detecting abilities. Katara quickly explained her situation to Toph, which included her dream visit with Roku and the task that he had given her concerning the restoration of the Airbenders. "And I'd like to take Appa and get out of here before Sokka gets back," she finished, glancing once more over her shoulder to make sure that Sokka and Zuko hadn't arrived yet.

Toph was silent for a few moments, processing everything that Katara had said. Finally, she said, "Then what are you waiting for? Get going."

Katara blinked her confusion. "You're not going to protest against my plan?"

"Why would I?" asked Toph. "The next Avatar's gonna need Airbending, and you using Appa to teach someone Airbending is the best way to do that. Like Roku said, without Airbending the Avatar would die out." She smirked as she said, "But be sure to come back to us, okay? We all care about you, but I know that this is something that you have to do." Looking up at Katara with unseeing eyes, she said, "Can you make me a promise to not forget about all of us?"

"Of course," kindly replied Katara, making Toph's smile grow even larger. Extending her fist, she added, "Pound it, sister."

"Got that right, sister," amiably replied Toph as she lightly pounded Katara's fist, extending her friendship to Katara through their physical bond. Dropping their fists, Toph gazed past Katara and said, "Oops."

"Oops what?" asked Katara, though she had a feeling what was the cause for the "oops".

"They're back," replied Toph, and Katara looked behind her to see Sokka and Zuko round the corner. They were too close now, for they would see her if she tried to run for the door. Katara sighed, knowing that a confrontation with her brother was unavoidable now.

Deciding to take the plunge, she walked up to Sokka and Zuko. After a few cheerful greetings, Katara explained her situation to them. Suki remained fast asleep, while Toph just stayed where she was. The whole time Katara was talking, she expected Sokka to vehemently oppose her plan. Surprisingly, he kept his big mouth shut, choosing instead to quietly listen to her. A flash of painful light did shine in his eyes when she mention Appa's forthcoming death in the years to come, but he maintained his composure.

Once she finished, Sokka said, "So that's it, then? You're just going to take Appa and go flying around the world for someone for him to teach Airbending before he dies?" Katara meekly nodded, feeling very small under his gaze. After a few moments, Sokka shrugged and nonchalantly said, "Okay."

Katara's surprise was evident, which was made apparent by Sokka's amused chuckle. "Are you serious?" she hopefully asked. "You would just let me go and do what I have to?"

"Of course," replied Sokka as he nodded. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he added, "I know that you would never do anything without a good reason, and I think it's a great thing you're doing by helping to restore Airbending to the world." He lovingly smiled at her as he said, "Whatever you decide to do, know that we're all proud of you." Katara softly smiled, feeling herself tear up slightly. Unable to contain herself anymore, she threw her arms around her brother's shoulders in a mighty hug. He hugged her in return, their sibling bond speaking for them deep in their hearts. They separated, and Sokka kissed her forehead and said, "Take care of yourself, sis."

"I will," promised Katara, kissing her brother's forehead in return. She turned to Zuko and gave him a hug as well, which he also returned with a smile. "I'm going to miss you all," she quietly said, and Zuko patted her back before they separated.

"Before you go," said Zuko, "I have something for you." Before Katara could ask what, he pulled Roku's headpiece out of his pocket. "This headpiece used to belong to my great-grandfather, Avatar Roku. It was given to him by my other great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, shortly before he left on his Avatar Journey." Katara's eyes widened a little in surprise, but Zuko's statement made sense; she had learned from Aang that Roku and Sozin were once best friends, so it would stand to reason that Zuko would be related to both of them.

"To me, it symbolizes the power that I have over the choices in my life." Placing the headpiece in her hand, he added, "Now I'm giving it to you so that you can find the power to make the right decisions in your life, to remind you that, no matter how much strife is in your heart, you have the power to shape your own destiny." He sheepishly smiled as he added, "Plus I think it might make a suitable replacement for your necklace."

Katara smiled, admiring the headpiece in her hands as she felt a slight blush take hold of her cheeks. Using one hand to bundle up a portion of her hair, she used her other hand to slip the base of the headpiece onto the bundle of hair, securing it in place with the pin. "How do I look?" she cheerily asked.

"Like a true Princess," sincerely replied Zuko, making Katara's smile spread even wider. "I'll be expecting this back next time I see you," he pointed out with a smile.

"Don't you worry," assured Katara with a playful punch to Zuko's arm. "You'll get your jewelry back," she added with a wink, chuckling as Zuko rolled his eyes. Pulling him into another hug, she cheerfully said, "Take care of yourself, Zuko."

"Same goes for you," playfully retorted Zuko as they separated once more, smiling brightly at one another. "Make us all proud."

Katara nodded, and, after one final goodbye to Sokka, made her way towards the door that would lead to the courtyard. She and Toph saluted one another as she walked past, and soon Katara found herself walking through the door and into the dark night.

She walked over towards Appa, who was sadly moaning. Petting his furry head, Katara softly said, "Are you up for one last go, buddy? You and I need to find someone to teach Airbending." Appa mournfully glanced over at her with sorrowful eyes, full of desolation and grief. With a heavy grunt, Appa lifted himself on his massive paws. "There you go," cooed Katara, using Appa's horn for support as she pulled herself up onto his head. Taking hold of the reins, she angled Appa towards the rim of the caldera. "Yip yip!" she cried out, whipping the reins as she did so. Appa loosed a bellow as he flapped his tail against the ground, taking off with a smooth burst of Airbending.

As they rose higher into the sky, Katara looked back upon the Royal Palace. Knowing that she wouldn't see her dear friends and brother for years immensely saddened her, bringing tears to her eyes. Looking back out at the starry sky, she wiped away her tears as she silently reminded herself that they would always be in her heart.


	6. Simmering Emotions

OK, first off, I want to profusely apologize for putting this story on hold for so long. I got involved with another story, and I also got writer's block after Chapter 4 of this story. I finally got over my writer's block and was able to write this story again, and even though this chapters a little on the short side when compared with my previous chapters, I hope it makes up for me being an idiot and putting off this story for a whole month. Again, I apologize. Anyways, on with the now-continued story! Enjoy and review! :D

Oh, and I'd like to personally thank **Nefertari Queen **for translating my story "Passing On" into Spanish (the title of her translated story is "Pasando", for those intersted in reading it) for the people of Mexico to read and enjoy. Muchas gracias, mi amgia. :) She did a very excellent job, by the way. :P

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Simmering Emotions**

"…And that's why you must ascend to the throne as soon as possible," stated the Fire Sage, whose name was Benzu. His fellow Fire Sages nodded in agreement with him, their elderly amber eyes gazing expectantly at the young Prince before them. Zuko, on the other hand, was staring down at the ground, taking in all the facts. Benzu had been explaining how that now Ozai was dead and Azula had gone insane, it was his birthright to ascend to the throne and become the Fire Lord, quieting all possible rebellions before they burst into existence.

Of course, Zuko had known all of this going into his meeting with the Fire Sages. However, it was necessary for him to do so; he needed all the supporters that he could get, especially now. The Fire Nation needed a strong leader, one who wouldn't succumb to the numerous pressures and stresses that came with the throne. Zuko wasn't sure if he could manage to keep himself sane during his time on the throne, but he knew that his friends would be willing to help him out.

But something else was on Zuko's mind, something that continued to nag at him even as the Fire Sages spoke with him…

Katara.

It hadn't been that long since she had departed, about a day or so, but Zuko couldn't help but wonder where she was. When Katara had left, Suki was upset that the Waterbender had left without saying good-bye to her. Sokka had assured his girlfriend that Katara would be back in a few years' time, and that's when she would be able to see Katara again. Out of their small group, she had been the one most affected by Aang's death; Zuko had no idea how she was going to cope on her own as she searched for someone for Appa to teach Airbending. They had always been a team, always been there for one another when times of hardship and tragedy struck. Now that she was gone, it was if someone had taken the heart of the group away, leaving the rest of the body behind to fend for itself without the vitalizing heartbeats of hope. The thing was, he knew that he and the others could get by without Katara, but it was still going to be hard without her to help out here in the Fire Nation.

What had truly shaken him up, however, was how strong Katara's grief was when she learned that Aang had died. She became so broken and fractured by the Avatar's death, as if someone had taken her heart and thrown it to the Wolf-Lions, letting the savage beasts of Fate rip apart her being until nothing was left but the hollow shell of a once great girl. Even now, he could see her glistening tears roll down her olive cheeks, her sapphire eyes splintered like a broken mirror, presenting the distorted image of what she had once been: a strong, brave, compassionate, and kind-hearted Waterbender, now only a desolate and barren vessel of unimaginable sorrow and woe.

He knew that she was strong enough to move on from her grieving of Aang, but even now, he felt compelled to try and find her, to hold her in his comforting embrace and tell her that everything was going to be better again. As her friend, he wanted nothing more than to see her smile again; not the kind of smile that hides the pain in her heart, but the truest of smiles that showed that her heart was full of jubilance and joy once again. He thought of how vulnerable and weak she had been in his arms, how we wanted to try and protect her from the endless ravages that assailed her young heart.

He shook his head. What was he thinking? Katara was just a friend, nothing more. He couldn't be falling for her…could he? _No,_ he mentally told himself. _Don't be ridiculous. There's no way you could ever feel like that about Katara. You still love Mai, you dolt! She's alive; she has to be…_

"Is something wrong, Prince Zuko?" Benzu's voice snapped him back to reality, making him look up at the Fire Sages with surprised eyes. "You haven't have said so much as a word since we began this meeting."

"Huh?" confusedly asked Zuko. Regaining his composure, he shook his head and said, "Sorry, I was just thinking about someone…"

"Someone you care about, my Prince?" asked another Fire Sage.

Zuko looked down to his right, his heart feeling as if it were being torn in two directions. Mai was- rather, _had been_, his girlfriend; would she come back to him and renew their relationship? She had saved him and his friends at the Boiling Rock, choosing to betray Azula for _him_, the boy who had ripped out her heart. She wouldn't have done it unless she truly cared about him, and that's why his heart still belonged to her, just as it had in the months that they were together and even before that.

But Katara…no, it wasn't the same. He cared for her because she was his friend and nothing more. She needed his comfort and support in her great times of need: when she had chosen to spare Yon Rha instead of getting her revenge, discovering that she loved Aang, and especially during her torturous grief that had followed in the wake of Aang's death. Katara may have been a dear friend to him, but that's all she was: a near and dear friend.

"Yeah," said Zuko as he looked up, his amber eyes glittering in the soft light of the meeting chamber. "I was thinking about Mai."

"The young noblewoman you were seeing before the Eclipse?" asked Benzu.

Zuko nodded his affirmation. "If it's at all possible, I want her released from the Boiling Rock. Send word to her Uncle, the warden of the prison. Tell him that I want her freed as soon as possible."

"At once, your Highness," bowed a Fire Sage. The man left the room, closing the door behind him as he went to complete his task.

Benzu looked back at Zuko and asked, "Prince Zuko, we the Fire Sages are willing to lend you our support so that you may ascend to the throne. Will you accept the throne of the Fire Lord, Crown Prince?"

"Yes," firmly replied Zuko, absolute seriousness in his voice.

Benzu nodded, as did the remaining Fire Sages. "It's decided, then. From this moment on, you are Fire Lord Zuko, the Sovereign Flame of the great Fire Nation." The Fire Sages made the traditional hand gesture and deeply bowed to him, all of them proudly proclaiming, "Hail, Fire Lord Zuko!" The scarred teenager's heart ached with great pride and satisfaction, knowing that this was his destiny. As the Fire Sages came out of their bow, Benzu said, "Only the Fire Sages will address you as the Fire Lord until the day of your coronation. Once we place the crown upon your head, all the Fire Nation will proclaim you as their Fire Lord."

"I understand," nodded Zuko, knowing that this was a precaution the Fire Sages took whenever the next Fire Lord was to be crowned. It was a way of ensuring that the soon-to-be Fire Lord had some power over his country through the Sages, who would execute his will until the day he was crowned, when he fully assumed the office of the Fire Lord.

While he was ruling his nation, Katara would find a way to restore the ways of Airbending to the world. Even if he managed to bring peace between the Fire Nation and the world, it would all mean nothing if the next Avatar couldn't learn Airbending. With only three elements, the Avatar could not maintain the balance between the nations, and the world would slowly dissolve into chaos once more.

Turning his thoughts to Katara, he silently said, _Wherever you are, Katara, I wish you the best of luck in restoring Airbending to the world. I really do hope that your heart will heal as the years go by. Whenever I see you again, I want to see the old Katara brought back to life, smiling and laughing like the world is right again. I'm always here for you._

_Always._

* * *

><p>The crimson flames danced in Katara's sapphire eyes, the dark night pressing on her back as the cool summer wind coursed through her hair. She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she sadly stared at the campfire before her. Appa lay on the opposite side of the campfire, his entire being rising and falling with the steady gusts of breath that he inhaled and exhaled.<p>

She and Appa were somewhere on the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, with this being the first piece of land the duo encountered ever since they left the Fire Nation. When Katara had spotted land on the horizon, she decided to stop for the night and allow Appa to rest. It was the least she could do for the mellow Bison, who would occasionally let out a mournful bellow into the silent night. Katara's heart ached with unimaginable pain to see Appa so depressed and sorrowful, for it reminded her of how she was feeling on the inside: hollow and empty, nothing but the echoes of grief and everlasting sorrow resonating throughout her being.

It was at this moment that Appa let out a series of low moans, which made it seem like the Bison was sobbing. Katara looked up from the fire to see Appa lifting his head towards the sky, his sporadic moans racking her heart with renewed pain. Appa looked around at the bright stars above, glancing from orb to orb as if he were searching for something. When he realized that what he was looking for wasn't there, the sobbing moans increased in strength. Appa buried his head under his front paws, his moans jutting deep into the earth and through Katara's feet.

Moved with compassion, Katara quickly got up and made her ways towards Appa, her eyes tearing up as she made it to the Bison's side. "Oh, Appa…" she sadly moaned, hugging the Bison's head as she tried to lend her strength to her animal companion. "I miss Aang too, buddy." Nuzzling her face in Appa's fur, she pleadingly said, "Please stop crying, Appa." Kissing his head, she softly added, "I'm here for you, buddy. I'm here for you…" Feeling Appa shudder underneath her, she desperately said, "Please, Appa, you need to rest."

Much to her relief, Appa settled underneath her, his moaning sobs muddling down to heavy snoring and breathing. Katara wearily sighed, silently saying, "Thank you." She made her way back over to her place around the fire, dropping herself down on her haunches and pulling her knees to her chest again. As she watched the dancing flames, she couldn't help but think of someone's arms around her, arms like a warming blaze of relief, comfort, and friendship. The small, pulsating waves of heat felt like a hand tenderly stroking her cheek, drying her tears with its fiery touch.

Feeling a sudden compulsion, she reached up and undid the headpiece on top of her head, bringing it down in front of her face so that she could see it. She held Avatar Roku's headpiece in her hands, the relic that signified the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko's words echoed in her mind:

_To me, it symbolizes the power that I have over the choices in my life. Now I'm giving it to you so that you can find the power to make the right decisions in your life, to remind you that, no matter how much strife is in your heart, you have the power to shape your own destiny._

Katara sadly smiled to herself, remembering how supportive and helpful Zuko had been after Aang had died. He was always the one to comfort her, to make her feel a little better despite all the chaos and madness that was swirling around them as a result of Aang's death. Even in the midst of all her sorrow and grief, he was her one ray of light, that beam of hope that made her smile. She could just imagine herself in his strong, sturdy arms again, nestled underneath those smoldering amber eyes, that warm, friendly smile…

Her eyes widened, her chest pounding with a strange, erratic pattern. "What am I thinking?" she asked herself, seeming shocked by her thoughts. "Zuko's just a friend. An incredibly handsome, somewhat charming…" She shook her head, trying to clear these unfamiliar thoughts from her mind, banishing them to the furthest corner of her being. She lightly hit her forehead with one hand, saying, " Stop it, Katara. You do _not_ like Zuko like that." She dropped her hand as her gaze drifted to the headpiece in her hands, reminding herself that this artifact belonged to one of Aang's past lives and that, in a way, Aang was connected to this headpiece now.

Feeling that Aang was watching her through the headpiece, her heart started racing as she said, "I'm sorry, Aang. I still wish I could have told you how I felt about you, but…" She forlornly looked up at the moon, as if to seek guidance from Yue, only to be answered by complete silence. Looking down at the headpiece again, she added, "You were the first boy I ever loved, Aang, and that's why…" Her chest constricted with pain as she came to her decision, knowing that it was final…for now, at least. "That's why I can't bring myself to see anyone else for a long time." Tears springing to her eyes, she resolutely said, "Until Airbending is restored to the world, I forsake all romantic involvements with men."

The headpiece remained as inanimate as before, giving no indication that the spirits connected to it had heard her vow. Katara heavily sighed, closing her eyes and bringing the headpiece to rest against her forehead, imagining Aang intimately resting his forehead against hers, love smoldering in his handsome gray eyes. "I love you, Aang…" she quietly whispered, letting her voice carry on a silent wind, gracing the sky with her declaration. Grief-filled tears streaking her face like raindrops, she murmured, "I wish you were here, Aang. You would know what to do…."

She opened her eyes and reached back up to the top of her head, replacing the headpiece in her hair. She tenderly wiped away her tears, holding her fingers in front of her eyes when she was finished, gazing at the fire through the reflective teardrop that rested on her olive skin. She imagined Aang's image imprinted on the droplet, his face contorted into one of a sweet, heartfelt smile, the words "I love you, Katara," silently slipping from his lips. Katara smiled at the imagined image, tears threatening to break forth from her eyes once more.

She cupped her hands, allowing the tear to nestle into the center of her palms. Lightly blowing on the droplet, she chilled the liquid enough for it to become frozen, a tiny diamond that sparkled on her skin just before her breath caused it to fly up into the sky. She watched as the crystal sailed up to the stars, taking its place among the celestial bodies that burned bright above, and soon the droplet become lost in the starry veil of the heavens. "Now you can fly forever, Aang," fondly said Katara with a loving smile, remembering how Aang just absolutely loved to glide through the sky, becoming one with his birth element, bellowing laughs of joy and jubilation cascading out of his lips as he flew.

Katara then nestled herself by the fire, lying down on the cool grass as she allowed the warmth of the fire to blanket her, as if a small dragon were curdled up next to her. "Good night, Aang," she whispered to the flames, imagining the young Avatar smiling at her through the dancing tapestry of crimson, orange, and maroon. Her eyes slid closed, her whole being falling into a deep sleep as she dreamed of a different world, one in which that her every waking moment was spent with Aang, loving him like she had never loved him before.

Needless to say, her sleep that night was indeed peaceful.


End file.
